The One Left Behind
by wolf.catcher15
Summary: The story of Remus J. Lupin. Starts at the end of Goblet of Fire, but includes memories from throughout his life. Includes the missing years, Marauder-era tales, friendship with Sirius, and of course meeting one Nymphadora Tonks.
1. Lying Low at Lupin's Part 1

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just enjoy playing with them.

Chapter 1 - Lying Low at Lupin's (Part 1)

The dilapidated house sat at the end of an overgrown lane, quite forgotten by most of the inhabitants of Knott-End-on-Sea. Some of the older residents had vague memories of a family that had once lived there. Once in a while, when these older men and women got together and began talking of better days past, they would recall them as pleasant if quiet folks with a young boy. In those days, the little house was kept up, its shutters not hanging by a bolt and a prayer and its paint not peeling as it was now. The little flowers and backyard garden were just a memory. Slowly the fields around the house became tangled and wild, obstructing the view of the home from the main road.

"Terrible thing," one would say, and the others would nod gravely as they rocked and knitted or whittled or occupied their gnarled hands in one way or another, "Boy was attacked by a wolf they say. Mutilated him. Completely deformed. Rarely saw them about after that, and never the boy….what was his name? Seamus?"

No one could properly recall the boy's name, nor the surname of the family. The house and surrounding land had been sold many years ago, but no one had ever moved in, and so the memory of the boy would pass on to others, great storms, greater scandals, births, deaths, comings, and goings. Had any of them been passing the long untraveled lane now, however, they would find a new coming…a very scraggly, unkempt coming…a very wet coming…

"Bloody Moony living in the back of bloody nowhere when he bloody well knows he'd never hurt a soul in his life," Sirius Black pulled his threadbare cloak tighter around himself and put his shoulder into the wind-driven rain. He could just make out his destination at the end of the path. Barely visible through the weather was a soft, warm glow that spilled from the windows of an old cottage that the soaked wizard knew well. If the weather were clear, he knew he'd be able to see the stretches of fields and forest four boys had explored from one end to the other many summers ago. He vaguely wondered if the old hat box they'd buried was still beneath the ground, his old muggle baseball cap cradling a golden snitch, a Chocolate Frog card of Morgana, and a blood spattered river stone.

"_So, everyone brought something, right?" Sirius gasped as four thirteen year old boys slid on their knees to a stop by the tree they'd chosen last summer to mark this special spot. Three heads nodded back at them, one with untidy black hair, one thick, shaggy, and blond, and the last tousled and sandy brown._

_Sirius opened the box and placed it in the middle of the circle they'd formed. From behind his back, he pulled a dirty, worn American baseball cap that was blue with an orange "N" and "Y" superimposed on each other on the front, "Into the time capsule, I, Sirius Orion Black, place my Mets baseball cap," he said solemnly before placing it in the box._

"_But Sirius," the boy with blond hair protested, "you love that hat!"_

"_Well that's the point, isn't it?" he replied, his grey eyes staring intently at the other three, "It's supposed to be something important to each of us and one day, when we're all famous wizards, we can come back here and dig the box up and remember."_

"_Remember what?" the blond boy asked._

"_What a git you are, Peter," the boy with untidy hair rolled his eyes._

"_James," the sandy haired boy admonished gently, "Peter, it's so that years from now we can remember who we are now. Who knows what the future holds, who we'll become? So, in twenty-five years, we'll come back and remember what we were."_

"_Finely put, Remus," James grinned, "We can remember being young, stupid…"_

"_Utterly brilliant you mean, practically prodigies," Sirius said. "What'd you bring James?"_

_With flourish, he pulled out a small golden ball, "Into the time capsule, I, James Alan Potter, place my golden snitch."_

"_How will you manage to show off now," Sirius smirked as James placed the ball into the box._

_James punched his arm, "I have another, but that one is the first one I owned. It belonged to my grandfather."_

"_I'll go next," the blond boy said digging into his pocket, "Into the time capsule, I, Peter Paulius Pettigrew place my only Morgana Chocolate Frog card."_

"_Excellent, Peter," Remus said quickly, shooting a warning glance at the other two, "That's your only Morgana, isn't it?"_

"_Yes," Peter nodded, "She's my favorite, and I only have about thirty cards left to finish my collection, but I know I'll get this one back eventually if I don't find another, right?"_

"_Good thinking, Pete," Sirius smiled, "Now you, Remus."_

"_Into the time capsule, I, Remus John Lupin, place my river stone," he said, dropping it into the box._

"_Why do you always carry that anyway?" James asked._

_Remus glanced back up from where he was staring at the stone, "Well, I suppose I can tell you now," he smiled rather ruefully. The other boys all looked surprised. They had stopped asking about the stone he always placed by his night table after the first few months of their first year, "My mother kept it. She said that I had it clutched in my hand when they found me after I was bitten. She gave it to me before my first transformation at home to remind me to be brave."_

_The boys were quiet for a moment before Sirius spoke, "Remus, are you sure you want to bury that?"_

"_Quite," Remus replied, putting the lid on the box, "After all, I don't need it anymore." He gave a shy smile and tapped his wand on the box._

"_Remus!" Peter gasped, "You can't use magic! It's summer!" The shortest boy looked up, expecting an owl to arrive immediately._

"_Don't worry, Peter," Remus grinned, "I didn't. Dad charmed the box to seal when I tapped it so that our things will be preserved for when we dig them back up."_

"_Brilliant," Sirius nodded, placing the box in the hole and together, the four boys pushed the earth back into the hole._

It was a much older Sirius that found the energy to jog the last few steps to the wrap-around porch that mercifully sheltered the front door of number 6 Meadow Lane. He shook his long hair and robes out before knocking on the shabby door. Behind him, the wind shifted direction, blowing the rain onto his feet under the shelter. He pounded harder on the door.

"Who is it?" a hoarse voice seemed unsure from the other side of the door.

"It's Miss March from PlayWizard! Open the bloody door, Moony. I'm drenched."

The door ripped open and before Sirius could take a step, a hand grabbed the front of his robes and pulled him into a bear hug inside the warmth of the house.

"Remus, has it been that long? It's not really Miss March, Remus, you're crushing me," Sirius groaned through a grin, hugging back regardless of the vertebrae he could swear were creaking.

When the other finally pulled away, his hands remaining on his shoulders as if the man were afraid he would disappear. Sirius's grin faded, however, taking in the haggard appearance of his friend. The Remus he'd known through childhood and as young adults had never been built. No matter how much he ate, he remained thin, but this Remus was downright bony in a pair of oversized sleep pants and shirt, his cheeks a shade hallowed and dark spots under his eyes, "You look terrible."

"Well that's the pot calling the cauldron black," Remus's laugh was rough from disuse, and the laugh transformed him. Oh he was still too thin, but his amber flecked blue eyes sparkled and his smile brightened his tired face.

"Well, I am called Black," a familiar smirk briefly made his tired face handsome again.

"Why haven't you come to me before?" There was no mistaking the hurt in the question.

"I didn't want to put you in danger," Sirius said placing a hand atop the other's briefly.

They stared at each other a moment, saying more than words could. "You're drenched," Remus finally said, looking at the puddle accumulating on the floor.

"I believe I mentioned that," Sirius said, stepping further inside the house. Even when they were children, the house had never been lavishly furnished, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin having spent every available knut and many an unavailable one searching for a cure for their son. Now, however, it seemed bare by comparison and it no longer belonged to the Lupin's. An anonymous buyer had purchased the house after Remus's parents had been killed with the only instructions were that Remus was to live there as he wished. Remus had never been able to find out who the new owner was and rarely stayed there despite the note. A worn, patched couch was placed in the center of the room. In front of it was a battered coffee table with four different legs. The walls of the room were lined with homemade bookshelves filled with old books lined carefully along each shelf and then stacked on top of the rows so that no space was left unfilled. Still, books were stacked on each side of the shelves, one stack with a wizard wireless perched precariously on top. A few pictures hung on the walls. The smiling faces of a middle-aged man and woman, the woman with Remus's eyes, the man with his nose, were waving out from one.

"Yes, I know," Remus said, looking around with him, "I've been here since last year, so I put a few things out. Let's get you dried off and warmed up."

"Could I use your shower?" Sirius asked, a bit uncertain, "It's, er, been a while."

"I'm sure," Remus said, wrinkling his nose though he was smirking, "I'm surprised I didn't smell you coming."

"Haha," Sirius groaned.

"Through that door," Remus waved his hand, toward the bedroom. "Towels are in the closet. Just throw your clothes out and I'll clean them. You can wear something of mine."

Sirius nodded, stumbling towards the bedroom. He stopped in the doorway, "I really wanted to see you, Remus, but I didn't want the Ministry to connect me to you more than they must have back when…well, you know."

"I understand," Remus nodded, "Go on, you're right, you do smell."

"Dumbledore told me the Ministry took you in for questioning after I escaped from Hogwarts last year," Sirius ignored him. "They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

Something flashed in Remus's eyes, but he smiled quickly, "Not at all. We'll talk later. Now go shower. I'll fix us something to eat."

Turning away, Sirius knew that line of discussion wasn't closed. Long years of experience taught him to spot a certain lying werewolf a mile away.

Stepping into blessedly hot water, Sirius closed his eyes and let the tension of the last few hours melt away. He tried to forget the way Harry had clung to his neck, like a much younger child. Hard as it was to believe, Harry was still a child, fast becoming an adult, yes, much too fast, but still a child with a child's needs. He'd been locked up in Azkaban when his godson had needed him the most, and now he'd been forced away again, for Harry to go back to that hellhole he'd grown up in. Yes, Sirius knew all about the Dursley's and how they'd treated Harry. That was certainly something he intended to address now that it seemed he'd be keeping closer quarters. Dumbledore would need him around now that Voldemort was back to full strength. There were so few from the old Order left that Dumbledore could ill afford to refuse even fugitive assistance. The faces of old friends long gone had flashed through his mind in Azkaban when the dementors would pass…Marlene McKinnon, Benjy Fenwick, Gideon and Fabian, Frank and Alice…the faces of Order members who had gazed upon Lily and the Marauders skeptically when Dumbledore had inducted them into the organization of the finest witches and wizards of the age. At the time, his arrogance had kept him from seeing what they saw: five teenagers, clever, yes, or Dumbledore would not have brought them, but untested and naïve. At the time, Sirius had thought they should consider themselves lucky to have them.

Sirius started when he felt the water on him beginning to turn cold. Hurriedly, he shut the tap off, wondering how long he'd been standing there reminiscing. He stepped out of the shower and began drying off with a threadbare towel that was surprisingly soft. Rubbing his hair, he peered into the next room to see a pair of pajamas lying on the bed. He slipped them on before heading back into the kitchen. A mug sat steaming on the table and Remus stood in front of the stove, the smell of eggs sending Sirius's stomach snarling for satisfaction.

"Remus, I've never fancied your bony ass before, but I'll kiss you if those eggs are ready." He said sitting down at the table.

"There's an invitation to overcook eggs if I've ever heard one," he replied, "but I promise to give them to you if you'll restrain yourself." He placed a plate of five over easy in front of him, "Toast will be ready in a minute. I'm afraid I don't have ham or bacon."

"This is plenty," Sirius said around a mouthful of egg…at least Remus was pretty sure that's what he'd said. With a shake of his head, he pulled seven slices of bread from the oven, buttered them, and placed six of the seven on Sirius's plate, chewing on one himself as he sat down at the table as well. He sipped quietly on his own mug of tea, allowing the other man to have his fill before inquiring why, after a year, a fugitive friend had descended on his doorstep at an indecent time of night.

When the last bite was gone, Sirius sighed, "I feel almost human again."

"Closest you'll get I expect," Remus said over his mug.

Sirius snorted, "Merlin I've missed you Moony."

"I've missed you too Padfoot," he replied quietly.

"Even after I called you a traitor," he asked, his eyes concentrating on his tea.

"I understood."

"Even when you thought I'd killed James, Lily, and Peter?" he asked quietly.

"Even then," Remus said, "For me, you died that day as well…and I can't tell you what it means to me to have you back."

"For me as well," Sirius said, meeting his eyes.

"So, should I expect Aurors on my doorstep?" Remus asked as he stood and took the empty plate to the sink.

"No, Dumbledore sent me. You're my last stop actually."

"Last on the list," Remus said over running water, "I'm crushed."

"Well, I figured you'd be the only one to offer me a place to sleep."

Remus snorted, "So what does Dumbledore want that has you visiting a list of people in the middle of the night."


	2. Lying Low at Lupin's Part 2

Chapter 1 - Lying Low at Lupin's (Part 2)

"The Order's reforming." Sirius said simply.

Remus shut the water off and turned, "What's happened?"

"I take it you know about the Triwizard Tournament…" At Remus's nod, Sirius recounted the events of the previous evening. Halfway through the tale, the other man sat down heavily at the table.

"So Harry saw James and Lily?"

"That's what he said," Sirius nodded, "Dumbledore said it was…"

"Priori Incantatem, yes," Remus said.

"You've heard of it?"

Remus nodded again, "Of the concept yes, but never of the actual event. Twin wands," he murmured thoughtfully.

"So Dumbledore sent me here. I've spent the past week making contact with the rest of the remaining order. Albus said he'd be in contact me here tomorrow. Wasn't sure I'd make it in time. He's sending Harry back to the Dursley's, which is insane if you ask me. If he were with me he'd be protected. With muggles he's an open target," Sirius fumed.

"No." Remus said quietly, "he's best protected there."

"How could he possibly be protected at a place where he's ignored and neglected?" Sirius growled.

"I agree that the Dursley's do not care for him properly, but he is protected from Voldemort," Remus held up his hand to forestall the coming protest, "After you were sent to Azkaban, I went to Dumbledore and asked to be allowed to take custody of him. Wizarding law prevents me from adopting him, but it doesn't prevent me from having guardianship. A loophole, James looked. After Harry was born, James took me and Dumbledore aside and said that if anything were to happen to him, Lily, _and_you, that he wanted me to take Harry, but he didn't want to put it on paper because he was afraid that some bureaucrat would catch it and fix the oversight. With Dumbledore as witness, he felt it was enough to ensure Harry would be cared for. As you know, I was…absent the night James and Lily were killed. I thought that Dumbledore did the only thing he knew to do, take Harry to Lily's relatives. When I went to him, he told me that Harry is protected there because of Lily's sister."

"That bony bag?" Sirius said indignantly, "She wouldn't hand him a tissue if he sneezed! We met her, remember, when we were packing Lily's things before the wedding. Her and that great lump of a boyfriend Vernon. Turned their noses up at us the whole time. You remember, she wouldn't stop washing her hands after James took hers to help her up the stairs."

"That's because James had put slug slime in his palm," Remus crossed his arms.

Sirius smirked, "I know. I love that memory. I didn't know a voice could reach that octave. But that's all the more reason she still wouldn't lift a finger to help Harry."

"You're right," Remus sighed, "but fortunately she doesn't have to. As long as Harry can call her house his home, he's protected by the blood of Lily's family." Sirius stared at him, "The night Voldemort came to their house, he apparently did not intend to kill Lily, only James and Harry."

"But why…"

"I don't know," Remus interrupted him, "Albus wouldn't tell me why. If Lily had stepped away from Harry, she would have lived."

"No mum would step aside and allow their child to be murdered," Sirius said.

"I can't imagine one that would, but when Lily stood between Harry and Voldemort and died for it, her sacrifice saved Harry."

"Ancient magic," Sirius breathed.

"Yes, ancient magic. Love, family, blood sacrifice…things that Voldemort would never think about. When Lily died, her blood in Harry protected him, and as long as Harry's home is with Lily's blood, he's safe. Until he comes of age, he must call the Dursley's house his home."

"But that doesn't mean he couldn't come stay with me during the summer," Sirius protested, "He's stayed at the Burrow before, hasn't he?"

"Yes, but he must initially return to them. I don't know for how long."

"Dumbledore should be coming by in the morning," Sirius said, "I'll ask him then. I think Harry should come to stay with us as soon as possible….that is, if you don't mind me kipping here?"

"Sirius, if you'd come to me a year ago, you could've been staying here all this time," Remus replied.

"I didn't want to create trouble for you, Moony. I know the Ministry must've given you a hard time," he held up a hand to stall the protest forming, "Don't even bother, I can see it in your eyes."

"They just questioned me, that's all. It's really nothing to bother about."

"Well, that just tells me all the more that it is something to bother about," Sirius glared at him, "I know they moved werewolves back to the Beast division last year, Remus, which means you have no rights under wizarding law, and from what I hear, Snivellus made sure that the entire world knows you're a werewolf, and after that article by Rita Skeeter…"

"Sirius, I'm quite aware that the word of my condition has spread," Remus interrupted, calmly sipping his tea, "I'm probably the best known werewolf in the wizarding world after Fenrir Greyback, which is why I've been staying here. There's no point traveling and looking for a job. It'd be next to impossible to get one with the new law changes and that's without being stared at from the moment I enter a building until I leave and they bring out the cleaning spray. This house is paid for and I'm able to make a bit of money writing journal articles for Defensive Magic Monthly and a few others under a pen name."

Sirius shifted in his seat.

"There's no need to look awkward about it," Remus shrugged, "I'm quite used to my existence being objectionable."

"A year's not long enough to be used to it," Sirius argued, "Hardly anyone knew before."

"Let's just say I accept it then. You, Peter, and James were a little wary when you first found out and don't try to argue," he said over Sirius's protests, "It was only natural that you were. Lily is the only person I've ever met that wasn't a bit put off at first and that's only because she was Muggleborn and didn't know any better. Anyone brought up in the wizarding world is taught that werewolves are dangerous, and that practice is not without merit. Very few werewolves choose living in wizarding society because of the prejudices they face. Most of them live in feral packs and are very much a danger."

Sirius tilted his head to the side, "You never knew that much about other werewolves before."

"It has been almost fourteen years, Sirius. I've picked up a few things."

"But why would you want to learn more about ferals? You're not one of them, Remus." Sirius said.

Remus sighed, setting down his mug, "During the war, Dumbledore came to me and told me that Voldemort was recruiting werewolves to employ in his service. It was the last time that werewolves shifted again to Beast status after having been in Being for most of my life, which meant the loss of many rights that we were used to having."

Sirius nodded, "I remember."

"Yes, well, Albus pulled me aside after one of the meetings. You, Lily, and James were headed to Godric's Hollow because Harry had a cold. He told me that there was a growing werewolf support for Voldemort under Fenrir Greyback. He asked me if I would be willing to go undercover with the pack, gain Greyback's trust if I could, and gather intelligence."

"He did what?!" Sirius squawked, knocking his chair over as he surged to his feet

"I told him no, Sirius," Remus said, studying his hands, "I've never wanted any part of those werewolves that decide to embrace the wolf side of them. They seem to think there's something spiritual about embracing that primal side of the condition," Remus looked up, disgust on his face, "Its being an animal, Sirius, and I've never wanted any part of it. I've spent my entire life trying to be as human as I can be…"

"You are human, Remus," Sirius insisted.

"No, I'm not, Sirius," Remus's tone stopped his friend cold, "It was a childhood delusion to think that I could be. I choose not to be an animal, but I've not been human since I was five."

Sirius growled, "This discussion isn't over, but getting back to Dumbledore having the nerve to ask you to infiltrate the werewolf pack, what happened after you told him you wouldn't?"

"He told me about Greyback. Do you know anything about him?"

Sirius shook his head.

"Greyback has been in operation for fifty years, as near as anyone can figure. That's how far back his file goes in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Remus stood up, pacing the kitchen, "He embraces being a werewolf. He recruits other werewolves and preaches the injustices of wizarding society and how oppressed we are…"

"Stop saying we," Sirius insisted, but Remus continued over him.

"He incites them to revenge. He tells them it's their right to prey on a society that rejects and vilifies us. Sirius, he purposely places himself near humans, particularly children, at the full moon so that he can attack them when he's changed. The adults, he usually kills. The children, he takes away to raise as ferals." His voice quieted, "It was Greyback that bit me."

"How do you know that?" Sirius asked, "I thought you didn't remember what happened?"

Remus glanced at him guiltily, "I didn't remember, not until Albus told me he was the one. Then I started remembering…"


	3. Lying Low at Lupin's Part 3

**Author's Note: **Thanks to those of you who are reading. The hit count keeps going up which is immensely encouraging. Yes, Chapter 1 is very long. No, the following chapters are not as long (so far) but I am not known for being short winded in speech or word. Thanks to those who have put the story on alert.

Malianani - Thanks much for your kind review. Yes, you'll see the time capsule again, but not for quite a while. I'm glad you're enjoying the interpretation of Sirius and Remus's friendship. Sadly, there's not much in canon to suggest how they were together, though it does allow my imagination to run and swing on the monkey bars.

teacher123 - Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you continue to enjoy.

Now on with the show...

* * *

Chapter 1 - Lying Low at Lupin's (Part 3)

_Isabelle Lupin was beautiful. She had pink cheeks, blue eyes, and fine blonde hair that cascaded down her back to a narrow waist. But what Remus loved the most about his mother was her smile. She had so many smiles. She had a happy smile that lit up her face. She had a mischievous smile when she was up to something. She had a loving smile for her husband when he returned home. She had a sad smile when she thought about her parents that had gone to heaven a few years ago. But the smile that Remus loved the most was the smile that was only for him. His smile was a smaller one. He could just barely see the white of her teeth between her pink lips and the corners of her eyes would crinkle and her eyes would twinkle. The smile that belonged to him spoke of love, pride, and belonging. He loved the smile that belonged to him. Mama was smiling that very smile as his fingers moved across the keys of the piano that was nestled in the corner of the living room. He was doing better than he'd ever done before on the piece she'd had been teaching him. Remus concentrated hard as he neared the end, not wanting to make a mistake. His fingers moved across the final keys and Mama broke into applause._

"_Bravo, my Remus," she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his temple, "For that, I'm going to make you Grandmama's biscuits," and she smiled his smile._

"_Can I help?" He asked, sliding off the piano bench. He loved to help his mother cook the muggle way. All of his friends' mothers cooked with magic. He loved the break the eggs and help her stir. Besides, none of his friends got to lick batter spoons when their mothers mixed with magic._

"_I'm home!" A voice called over the sound of the front door opening and closing again. Remus danced in place, wanting to greet his father, but the biscuits…_

"_I'll wait for you, go on," Isabelle laughed and Remus shot off to the front door._

"_Daddy!" He launched himself at the man, knowing he would be caught._

"_Oh, what do we have here?" John Lupin laughed as he wrapped a bundle of energy in his arms. Mr. Lupin was a tall, stocky man with sandy hair that was forever falling over dark brown eyes set on either side of a rather prominent nose. His job as a Dark Creature Regulator at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures meant that Remus always got to hear about fascinating creatures like trolls, imps, and vampires._

"_You're early, Daddy," Remus grinned, "You can help Mama and me made Grandmama's biscuits."_

"_Biscuits before dinner?" Mr. Lupin's brown eyes looked playfully suspicious._

"_Your son got through the first three pages of Mozart's Piano Concerto Number 5 without making a single mistake," Mrs. Lupin declared from the doorway, "and you're home early."_

"_Ah, then biscuits it is then," he said, setting his son down and taking his hand as he approached his wife. Isabelle smiled John's smile and kissed his cheek. "You know how rough it's been at work the past week. Richard let me come home early."_

_Isabelle looked into her husband's eyes suspiciously, "We'll talk later."_

_Remus looked curiously between his parents. They were getting off track, "Biscuits?"_

_Isabelle laughed and placed her hands on each side of her son's face, "Yes, biscuits," she said, turning back to the kitchen._

"_Oh Remus, Erin O'Malley's father said the strangest thing to me today," John called his son's attention again._

"_Oh?" Remus asked with wide-eyed innocence, "What did he say?"_

"_He told me that his daughter told him that you put flobberworms in her lunch pail at school, but when she went to show the teacher, they mysteriously disappeared. Now why do you suppose she would say something like that?"_

"_I don't know, Dad. Erin's always been a bit mental," Remus said, his hands behind his back and rocking from heel to toe._

"_Mental you say?" He grinned, sweeping Remus over his shoulder and giving him a swat to the backside that went unnoticed in laughter._

"_No more putting flobberworms into girls' lunch pails, understand?"_

"_Yes," his son giggled as he was set back upright._

"_Well, since your mum's making biscuits, how about I do a grill out for dinner? Sound good?"_

"_Yes!" Remus grinned._

"_Yes!" Isabelle's voice drifted from the kitchen._

"_Grill out it is then," he said, ruffling his son's hair, "and maybe after dinner, you can play me some jazz, how about it?"_

_Remus nodded enthusiastically before dashing back into the kitchen._

_A few hours later, full of grilled kabobs and biscuits and having played a few sessions of jazz as promised, Remus lay nestled between his mother and father on the couch in front of the fire, listening to the wireless. He was in the process of stifling his third yawn when he heard chuckling. He looked up to see his parents grinning._

"_I think its bedtime," his father said._

"_Can I stay up a little longer?" He asked._

"_You have school tomorrow," his mother reminded him, "You'll be grumpy if you stay up. And tomorrow's Quidditch day."_

_Remus grinned at the thought of the weekly Quidditch game at school and finally let his yawn out, squeaking out the end of it._

"_Yep, that's bedtime for the future Ravenclaw Quidditch captain and piano maestro," John said, lifting his boy into his arms._

_Wrapping his arms around his father's neck, Remus allowed himself to be carried up to his bedroom. He was placed into bed, a warm quilt pulled snugly up and tucked under his chin._

"_Good night, son," John Lupin leaned over and kissed the boy on the forehead._

"_Night Daddy," he sighed._

"_Good night, my Remus." Isabelle Lupin kissed his cheek and smiled for him._

"_Good night, Mum," Remus yawned and snuggled deeper into his quilt._

_A cold wind blowing across his neck woke Remus from his sleep. He started awake, squinting across his room illuminated by the moon, just the barest shadow keeping the moon man from displaying his full face. His own face scrunched in puzzlement at his open window. Sleepily, he threw back his covers and stumbled across the room to shut it. His hand had just reached out to the sill when an arm darted through the window and grabbed the front of his pajamas. He squealed and put his small hands around the larger one, trying to wrench the fingers loose, but the arm jerked him out through the window. _

"_Daddy!" he screamed, but he didn't know if anyone could hear him as whatever had him leapt down from the eave under his window and bounded towards the woods at an inhuman pace. He kicked and punched and screamed before sharp claws raked across his belly. A warm wetness spread across his pajamas that quickly grew cool and all he could do was pant and gasp as he was vaulted deeper and deeper into the forest._

"I had no idea," Sirius said quietly, "I always thought you'd…." he shrugged.

"Been in the wrong place at the wrong time," Remus finished for him, "I imagine that's what most people think. Even I didn't know the full details of why until Albus told me." He turned to face his friend, "My father had captured a feral outside of Kendal a few weeks earlier. Several witnesses identified her as the werewolf that had attacked two witches and three Muggles. She was executed. Her name was Wulfrieda Ulf. She was Fenrir Greyback's mate.

_Remus awoke slowly, confused at the feeling of unfinished wood beneath his cheek. Where was his soft bed, his feather pillow, and his warm quilt? His eyes peeked open, sandy and scratchy, alighting not upon his bedroom, but broken, dusty furniture and shabby walls. And he was not alone. Across from him sat a man. He was powerfully built with black hair liberally peppered with grey, grey whiskers, and pointed teeth. Pointed yellow nails drummed on his chest where his arms were folded, regarding his captive with an amused smile. Remus began to sit up and gasped at the stinging pain in his belly as the muscles pulled against torn flesh. His hand flew to his belly and felt a new flow of blood spill over the dried sticky stain already on his pajama top._

"_I'll thank you to bleed a bit less, for now," the man chuckled with a gravelly voice, "The smell's making me hungry and it's not yet time."_

_Remus sat up, his knees drawn to his chest to ease his belly. "Who…are you," he gasped._

"_Brave little one, aren't you?" The man laughed, "You'll know who I am soon enough, but your father knows me, boy. Yes, your father knows me well."_

"_Good," Remus spat, "then you'll know him when he comes for me and kicks your sorry ass."_

_The man roared with laughter, "Oh yes, you'll do quite well." He glanced out the window, looking into the sky, "Not long now and that father of yours won't come near you."_

"_My father will always come for me!"_

"_Oh no, boy," the man's voice became quiet, "Not when you become like me. Then it's me that'll be your dad."_

"_Remus, where are you?!" A voice echoed in the distance._

"_Dad!" Remus leapt up from the floor and bolted for the door. His small hands pulled at it, but it wouldn't open._

"_It's too late," The man laughed strangely. Remus turned. Moonlight fell across a contorting face as the skin stretched and the bones beneath transformed._

_Remus was not aware of the tears that began running down his face as he tugged at the door in a panic. The sounds of bones breaking and tendons tearing behind him only urged him to tug harder and harder at the door, gasping and sobbing._

"_Please, open!" he finally begged, and to his surprise, the door leapt open, knocking him over. He scrambled to his feet, running outside._

"_Remus, can you hear me?!" His father's voice called, closer than it had been, but a long triumphant howl interrupted from inside the old abandoned cabin. The boy glanced once towards the sound of his father, towards home, "Yes, your father knows me well." The man had said, and Remus turned and ran the other way._

"You ran the other way?" Sirius interrupted astonished.

"Stupid, I know," Remus shook his head, "All I could think about was that I didn't want that thing getting to my mum and dad."

_He ignored the brambles that tore at his pajamas. He ignored the sticks and rocks that cut his bare feet. He ignored the limbs that scratched his face. He ignored everything that distracted him from putting one foot in front of the other as fast as his five year old body would allow. He even ignored the sound of something enormous crashing through the brush behind him. _

"_Don't look back. Don't look back. Just keep running." The thought ran over and over in his head, even as the crashing behind him grew louder. "No, please, no no no no." And then in front of him, three pops sounded the arrival of three wizards._

"_Dad!" Remus gasped._

"_Remus!" John Lupin watched as his boy turned and the werewolf's claws raked across his son's face. A cry of pain and astonishment rang clear as Remus was knocked to the ground. Blood ran down the boy's face and into his eyes. Fetid breath overwhelmed him. He saw a flash of dripping yellow teeth and he tried to scream, but he couldn't. Something was crushing his chest, pushing the air out of him. Then, he became aware of tearing pain._

_The werewolf looked up, his amber eyes gleaming over a muzzle full of human child. He saw what it was that he wanted; there was devastation in the face of John Lupin. His jaws spread wide in a hellish grin before he turned to bound away. Three more pops sounded from behind the werewolf and voices shouted "Stupefy!" Three jets of red light hit the creature, knocking him into a nearby tree, the child flying from his mouth. The wolf quickly regained his feet. He turned his head, his gleaming eyes glaring almost reproachfully at the wizards in Auror's uniforms before it snarled and leapt away. The creature gone, all six wizards' eyes now fell upon the heap of limbs that had been thrown to the ground. John Lupin ran to his son's side, his blue pajamas heavily stained with crimson._

"_Remus," his voice shook as a trembling hand rolled the boy onto his back. His child was covered in blood from three slashes across his face and the bite into his chest. Behind him, the aurors stood solemnly._

_And then, Remus opened his eyes, "Daddy?" His voice gurgled through his own blood._

"_I've got you, son. You're going to be ok," he turned, "We have to get him to St. Mungo's," as he said it, the clouds parted over their heads and moonlight fell on his face._

_Remus moaned. John turned and reached to pick him up, but the aurors seized his arms._

"_What are you doing?" He tried to pull away, but their grip held fast._

"_John, we have to get out of here," One of the younger aurors said urgently._

"_I know, Alastor!" he said frustrated, pulling away again to no avail. His son's moans now turned to screams. "He's hurt. Let me help him."_

"_John, it's too late. We have to go, now!" Several of the aurors fell back, their breath quickening._

"_No! I…"_

"_John!" The auror named Alastor grabbed his robes and shook him, "Look at him!"_

_John Lupin turned to look at his son and all strength left him. The child was thrashing on the ground, screaming as his bones broke and tendons snapped; his skull plates rearranged; sharp canines gleamed; long-fingered little boy hands had become sharp-clawed paws; his mother's blue eyes glinted amber._

"_That's my son! I can't leave him!" The last thing John saw before he was apparated struggling back to his home was a young, sandy brown wolf with a short, broad snout and tufted tail howling at the moon._

"The next thing I remember was waking up in St. Mungo's. I'm pretty sure it was the following day…"

"…_anything you can do…"_

"…_sorry…no cure…"_

"…_supposed to do now…"_

"…_best to put him down…"_

_A resounding slap brought Remus back to full consciousness. He opened his eyes and a wave of nausea swept over him. He snapped them shut again and, after a moment, slowly reopened them. He squinted against the glaring light, everything was, at first, too blurry. Gradually, his eyes began to focus, and he could see crisp white sheets covering him. Empty beds were made up tightly on either side of him. Towards the end of the room, he could see his father with his arms around his mother._

"_Mama, don't cry," his voice croaked._

"_Baby?" Isabelle Lupin turned, moving towards him as she wiped tears from her face. The bed dipped as she sat down beside him and he bit back a moan as she gathered him in her arms._

"_Belle, careful," John hissed, "His blood could…" But one look from the woman stopped his words in his throat._

_Remus took no note of the exchange as he settled safely against his mother. His face hurt when he spoke, and his chest and tummy hurt when he breathed, but none of it seemed to matter at the moment._

"_Daddy, who was that man?"_

"_I don't know," his father said automatically._

"_He said…you knew him." Remus winced._

"_He lied," his eyes studied the linens._

_The family was silent for a moment, Isabelle's hands gently running through her son's soft hair._

"_Remus," John finally spoke, "Do you know what the man was?"_

"_He was a werewolf," Remus said, his blue eyes looked up at his father with a wisdom that was as new as the flecks of amber in his irises, "So that means I am now too, doesn't it?"_

_The first tears began rolling down John Lupin's face as he continued to look anywhere but at his son._

"_Do you have to take me away?"_

_John's eyes finally fell on the child's face, and the images of morphing features, amber eyes and that howl melted away. Beneath the bandages was his son's face._

"_Why would I take you away?"_

"_I'm a monster now."_

"_I never want to hear you say that again." He said, sitting down beside his wife, pulling them close so that Remus lay securely between them, "You're my son, and I'm not going to let anyone hurt you again."_


	4. Lying Low at Lupin's Part 4

**Author's Note** - This is the last installment of chapter 1 (trumpet fanfare). As I said, the later chapters thus far are not as long.

PantherAnimagi - Thanks for reviewing. Glad you're enjoying.

* * *

Chapter 1 - Lying Low at Lupin's (Part 4)

"The doctor wanted to put you down like a sick dog?!" Sirius was outraged.

"That's how most wizards view werewolves, Sirius, like Muggles view a rabid dog. Anyway, the doctor didn't dare suggest it again after the black eye my mother gave him. My dad always used to say, never mess with an Italian woman," Remus said fondly. Sirius's face was still thunderous, "That's what they do, Sirius, especially to children that are bitten. Most wizards believe that when their child is bitten, they're dead, and all they are doing is laying to rest the shell that used to be their child. I'm very grateful that my parents believed differently."

Sirius sat quietly for a moment. Remus waited, knowing well that he would continue with what was on his mind when he was ready. With a tap of his wand, he reheated their tea cups and took another sip.

"Dumbledore manipulated you," Sirius finally growled.

"I beg your pardon," that had not been what Remus was expecting.

"You had no intention of infiltrating the werewolf pack until Dumbledore told you about this Greyback," he spat.

"I wasn't doing it for revenge, Sirius," Remus said, "I've long come to terms with what I am. Certainly there are times when I wish I was normal, but who's to say I'd have met you and James and Lily? Who's to say I'd have even been in Gryffindor? You can't wish away the bad in your life without risking losing the good. I was doing it because it was a way I could contribute that no one else could. I'm not completely naïve, Sirius. Dumbledore may have given me incentive to want to do the mission, but he didn't manipulate me."

"Why didn't you tell us what he'd asked you to do?"

Remus sighed, spinning his teacup slowly on the table, "I wanted to, but Dumbledore swore me to secrecy."

"From us?" Sirius asked.

Remus nodded.

"But why? We would've wanted to know. I would have wanted to know you were out there on such a dangerous mission. How were we supposed to know where you were if you called for help, and he wasn't there?" Sirius was getting more agitated, "What was Dumbledore thinking? He couldn't watch everyone at once. For something like that, there should have been backups, safeguards, check-in plans…"

"It wasn't just that, Sirius," Remus stopped him, running a hand through his hair. He had thought, at some point, that he would have to explain this to Sirius, he just didn't think it would be the first night they were reunited.

"What then? Because I've got a bloody good mind to hex Albus when he shows up in the morning for such a hare-brained scheme!" Sirius steamed.

"We knew there was a traitor in the Order," He held up a hand as Sirius took a breath for another rant, "I told Albus that it couldn't be possibly any of you. I had trusted you, James, and Peter with my life since second year when you found out what I am. I refused to even consider that it was any of you or Lily, but Albus said that it didn't matter who the spy was. The members of the Order were already known to the other side. I couldn't just walk up to the pack and convince them that I wanted to join. Even if Greyback didn't know all the Order members, Voldemort was sure to know who was in the pack. They wouldn't buy I'd left the Order unless…"

"Unless we already thought you were a traitor," Sirius breathed, his eyes widening.

Remus nodded, continuing to study his tea cup, "Most of the rest of the Order was already suspicious of me because they knew I was a werewolf. No one else really trusted me except for you, James, Lily, and Peter. When I started doing the research necessary to be able to infiltrate Greyback's wolves, I was unaccounted for for long stretches of time, and I was looking more haggard trying to learn to transform voluntarily."

"And we bought it," Sirius said, shaking his head.

* * *

_Remus would have given anything for one of Madam Pomfrey's pain relieving potions…or her Pepper Up potion…or even just a bite of Honeyduke's chocolate. His body ached and even the smile of approval from Dumbledore couldn't entirely make up for it. For the first time today, he'd managed to transform himself into a werewolf voluntarily. It had taken two months. He'd had no one to guide him, and it wasn't exactly something someone wrote a "How To…" manual about. He'd been relying on what he'd learned from his fellow Mauraders when they had been learning their animagus transformations, but it turned out to be entirely different. Initially, he'd wanted to learn the spell too. After all, why should they restrict their adventures to the full moon if he too could learn to take an animal form? They'd had to be careful about asking Professor McGonagall too many questions about animagi or she'd become suspicious, but Remus couldn't help but ask if werewolves could become animagi too._

"_Why do you ask, Mr. Lupin?" Professor McGonagall had frowned._

_Remus stood in the empty classroom and put on his best morose persona, "Well, you see Professor, I can't control what I become on the full moon. I just thought it might be nice to become something that I can control."_

_Even Sirius had been impressed with his excuse when he'd practiced in their room that morning._

_Professor McGonagall frowned again, but this one was filled with pity. He hated how often "morose Remus" worked, "While it has never been documented, at least to my knowledge, that a werewolf has tried, I would say no, Mr. Lupin. Animagi are not covered until NEWT level, but the theory behind the transformation includes finding the animal inside yourself, the animal that embodies your personality, your very soul. Then, you have to give yourself over to that feeling. It is an elusive journey, Mr. Lupin, and _

_many wizards abandon the attempt at that stage because it can be very…disconcerting to be that honest about yourself, to look that deeply. In the case of a werewolf, I would think you would find discovering that animal impossible. The wolf would be too strong."_

"_Oh," Remus had said faintly._

"_I wouldn't be too disappointed, Mr. Lupin," She had placed a hand on his shoulder as she guided him out of the classroom, "It is an endeavor few wizards choose to embark upon."_

_Remus nodded as he left, but it wasn't because he would be unable to become an animagus. It was the thought that the wolf had claimed his soul._

_He'd shared what McGonagall had told him, about exploring their personalities, their souls, with his friends, but he'd kept his thoughts about his own soul to himself._

_Turning himself into a werewolf had been very different from what his friends had told him about becoming animagi. They had said that you did indeed find the animal inside yourself and want to become it. James had even confided in him that becoming Prongs tickled. Becoming Moony most decidedly did not tickle. It hurt. He'd been disturbed at how easy it'd been to find the wolf inside. It leapt to the surface, clawing to be let out. He'd first had to learn how to control that feeling. He couldn't give himself over to the wolf as James, Sirius, and Peter gave themselves to the stag, the dog, and the rat. No, he had to be the wolf's master. It was the pain he had to give himself over to. The first time he'd started to transform and he felt his bones begin to creak and his ligaments strain, he'd stopped, gasping. This wasn't to be shapeshifting, a fluid movement into a natural extension of yourself. It was transforming, the breaking of a body into something unnatural. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so bad if he'd embraced it, as ferals are said to do. If he'd embraced the wolf and its desires and instincts, but not even for the downfall of Voldemort would he do that. The wolf may own his soul, but he would own the wolf._

"_The meeting is about to begin. I must start that way." Dumbledore said quietly, "Wait here for about twenty minutes, and then come in late looking, well," He cast his eyes over rumbled closed and shadowed eyes._

"_Just like this," Remus smiled resigned, "I know, but honestly Albus, this will probably work for most of the Order. I don't think they've ever truly trusted me, despite your endorsement, but James, Lily, Sirius, and Peter will never believe I would betray them."_

"_Well, we shall work around that as we need to," Dumbledore said as he made his way out of his office. Remus frowned at his doubtful tone as he settled wearily into the squashy floral-print arm chair that had been conjured for him._

_Twenty minutes later, he slowly opened the door of the abandoned cottage deep in the Forbidden Forest. Fifteen pairs of eyes turned, looking his way disapprovingly. He smiled and shrugged, taking a seat beside James who was holding one year old Harry in his arms. The child grinned upon seeing Remus and reached his arms out to him. Remus _

_began to reach out, but James shifted the child to Lily. Harry gave a brief wail of protest before Sirius distracted him with the keys to his motorbike._

"_Sorry," James mumbled, "He's teething and he gets antsy."_

_Remus nodded, his brow furrowed. Usually, he was the best at calming Harry's teething pangs, something that quite annoyed Lily, but Dumbledore was beginning again._

_As the meeting continued, Remus could feel the eyes of the other Order members on him, only to shift hastily away if he looked back, but he ignored it, reminding himself that it was necessary if he wanted to survive his assignment. Dumbledore updated them on confirmed new members of the Death Eaters, finally including Lucius Malfoy, whom they'd long suspected but were unable to prove. They discussed Voldemort's likely next moves and ways to prevent them. Finally, Dumbledore reiterated to them all the caution they should all take as they went about their tasks._

"_Constant vigilance," nodded one of the aurors who now sported a tremendous gash in his nose after a clash with a Death Eater._

"_I think that sums it up nicely, Alastor," Dumbledore agreed, "That concludes our meeting, ladies and gentlemen. You will receive word of our next meeting in the usual way. Remus, if you will wait for a moment, I wish to speak with you."_

_The werewolf nodded, turning to speak to James, but the others were getting up from the table. None of them looked his way as they filed out, so he was forced to sit, waiting for Dumbledore as they left._

_When the door closed behind the final member, the older wizard smiled kindly at him, "Thank you for remaining a moment. I know you wish to see your friends."_

"_I've not seen much of them what with all I've been doing," Remus admitted._

"_I just wanted to tell you, when you think the time is right for your departure, I trust your judgment to make the break when you need to."_

"_But I've only been able to do the transformation once," Remus protested, "I'm not ready yet."_

"_I think you will find it easier to do now that you know how," Dumbledore assured him, "but there is something you should know. Voldemort is not the only one with a spy. We now have one of our own within his ranks."_

"_One of the new Death Eaters is on our side?" Remus asked._

"_No," Dumbledore shook his head, "one of his Death Eaters has turned. I, and now you, are the only ones that know his identity. I have informed him of your mission. If something goes wrong, for either of you, you both should know you can turn to the other for assistance."_

"_Who is it?"_

_Dumbledore paused for a moment before replying, "Severus Snape."_

"_What?" Remus was bewildered, "Snape has been a Death Eater in training since he could toddle!"_

"_There is much more to Severus Snape than you know, Remus, just as there is much more to you than he believes." Dumbledore admonished, "He has already provided invaluable information to us. Voldemort has targeted the Potters and will be moving on them."_

_It was more than Remus could process…Snape turning spy for the order, Voldemort after the James and Lily "I can't go underground now. James and Lily will need my help."_

"_You can help them by continuing on your mission. James and Lily will be going into hiding under the Fidelus Charm. Sirius has agreed to be their secret keeper. No one, not even Lord Voldemort will be able to find them."_

"_What about Sirius?" Remus asked, clasping his hands._

"_Sirius will go into hiding as well. He will be moved constantly, always under the protection of the Order," Dumbledore put a hand on his shoulder, "He will be fine."_

_Remus frowned, but nodded. If he couldn't trust Dumbledore, then they were lost already._

"_Good boy," Dumbledore nodded, "As I said, you have my leave when you feel the time is right. Do not risk your life unnecessarily. Use your patronus to stay in touch with me."_

"_I will," Remus nodded, standing up and going out the door. He began walking down the path that would lead to the apparition point when he heard his name._

"…_Remus can't be the one." It was Lily's voice, "You three have been on about this for weeks now. It's ridiculous."_

"_I'm telling you. Lily, we can read Remus like a book. He's hiding something," Sirius's voice was insistent. Remus crept softly through the brush off the path and could see Lily, still holding Harry, with James, Sirius, and Peter._

"_James?" She turned to her husband._

_He sighed, "Remus is keeping something from us," he agreed with Sirius, "I don't want to believe he's turned, Lily, but nothing else makes sense."_

_Remus felt his strength leave him and his stomach lurch. They couldn't believe it. Not ever…not so quickly._

"_I'm telling you, James, it's Remus," Sirius growled, "We've barely seen him for months. He's vague about where he's been! Remus hasn't been acting like Remus."_

"_I didn't want to say anything," Peter stammered, "but he was ranting when that amendment to the werewolf legislation passed last week. He said he'd have more freedoms joining Voldemort. I…I thought he was just blowing off steam."_

_Remus shook his head, still sick…he'd said that, but he'd laughed. More werewolf restrictions had become frequent. The only way to get through them had been to laugh with his friends._

"_You see," Sirius said, "the pressure has finally become too much for him."_

"_Sirius, listen to yourself," Lily reasoned, "This is Remus. We've known him since he was eleven. If anyone knows how to deal with pressure, it's him. He would do anything for the three of you…he'd die for you, you know that."_

"_He has been lying to us Lily," James said more confidently, "He said he'd gotten work at a muggle grocery store, but I went to take him some food there just yesterday and they didn't know who I was talking about. I thought maybe he was using another name and he hadn't mentioned it, but when I asked him about it, he just looked guilty."_

"_You see," Sirius snarled, "Face it, Lily, he's turned. Remus is the best liar out of the four of us. He's had plenty of practice."_

"_Out of necessity, Sirius," Lily argued, "He always hated lying when he was at school. You know that."_

"_We've talked about this over and over for the last two weeks, Lily," Sirius persisted, "It has to be one of us. Some of the information passed on has only been discussed between us, and he's the only one who…"_

"_Who what?" Lily glared, daring him to say it, "Anyone could have been listening in on us."_

_Sirius's grey eyes met her emerald ones, "He's the only one with something to gain."_

"_No," Lily shook her head, "Remus has no reason to want to join Voldemort."_

"_Voldemort is allowing the werewolves freedom to be what they are," Peter said quietly._

"_Voldemort is allowing werewolves to kill and maim and torture. That's not who Remus is."_

"_You've never seen Remus as a werewolf, Lily," the normally quiet Peter continued, "He's as blood thirsty as any Death Eater. It takes everything that Prongs and Padfoot have to keep him under control. Maybe he finally just wants to be allowed to run free. They say the transformations are easier when the wolf is free to feed and hunt."_

"_I don't care that I've never seen him as a werewolf," Lily replied, "The Remus I know doesn't want to hurt anyone. The Remus I know loves his music and his books and his friends."_

"_War changes people Lily," James began._

"_I see that it does," Remus interrupted. The others jumped and James and Sirius pulled their wands, moving to shield Lily and Harry._

_Remus stood there, his hands at his sides. He didn't think he had the strength to draw his wand even if Voldemort himself materialized._

"_Don't start anything, Remus," James took a step forward, "just leave."_

"_What?" Remus asked bitterly, "Giving up on your chance to capture a spying Death Eater?"_

"_You admit it then," Sirius spat, his knuckles turning white as his grip on his wand tightened._

"_James, Sirius, stop," Lily ordered, tears streaming down her face._

"_Lily, please just stay back with Harry." James said tensely._

"_Remus, go, all right, just go," Lily said her hands protectively around her son._

"_Get out of here before we change our minds," James warned._

"_Change your minds about what?" Remus snapped, stepping forward towards the raised wands._

"_About blasting you into a million pieces," Sirius snarled._

"_Do it then," Remus stopped at the tip of Sirius' outstretched wand, the point denting into his chest. His blue eyes glared furiously into the other's, "Go on, blast me," he batted away the wand arm and shoved Sirius hard in the chest._

"_Impedimenta!" James waved his wand._

_Remus simply waved his hand and cast a silent Protego and the spell bounced into the ground. Looking back up, he saw a wave of fear in his friend's hazel eyes. Peter stood trembling, his wand pitching wildly. Remus stood wandless, looking in turn at each of his friends overtop of their drawn wands, three beloved faces he no longer recognized. He finally cast his gaze to Lily, her green eyes uncertain, her body shielding her son._

"_Go, Remus," Sirius said, "You can't take all three of us."_

"_Don't worry. You won't ever have to see me again," Remus was unable to keep his voice from breaking as he turned away._

_The others watched his back as he moved away. Just before they apparated, they heard a howl from deep in the forest._

* * *

"I do admit," Remus said with a sad smile, "You bought it much more quickly than I thought you would."

"I'm sorry, Remus," Sirius began, unable to meet his eyes.

"I was supposed to make you think it was me, Sirius."

"Maybe, but we suspected you long before that," he said, "I suspected you."

"I forgave you for that a year ago, Sirius, once I realized we'd both been betrayed."

"And before then?" He asked, still not looking up.

Remus sighed, "I want to say that I hated you, but I didn't. I don't know the word for how I felt. I thought that you pointed the blame my way to cover up for yourself; that you used me as a scapegoat and all the while you were planning the deaths of our best friends. The four of us, we were brothers. That made it hurt worse. It was rage and fury…and loss, I suppose." Sirius shifted in his chair, "And all the while you were innocent and suffering."

That got his attention, "I deserved it. It was my idea to switch to Peter. I thought it was so perfect," he said disgusted, "I turned my back on you and handed my other best friend and his family to a murderer."

"This isn't doing anyone any good," Remus reached out and took Sirius's hand, "You did everything you could to protect James, Lily, and Harry. You were right. No one would have expected them to trust a mediocre wizard like Peter with something so important. It was a good plan. Peter turned out to be a better actor than we gave him credit for."

"I thought you betrayed us," Sirius said.

"And I thought you did," Remus replied.

"In Azkaban, the prisoners go mad because the dementors suck everything good out of them, but really there's so little good and they become the worst parts of themselves. I was able to stay sane because I knew that I hadn't done it, but the times they did get to me…I would hear that howl, knowing what I did to you, and I would want to die."

"I'm glad you didn't. The past is what it is, Sirius. I know now that you were never a traitor, and it was my job to get you to believe I was. Let it go. We've got too much ahead of us to live in regrets. Dumbledore will be here in the morning. There's going to be a lot to do."

Sirius sighed, rubbing his face with his hands.

"Come on," Remus stood up, "It's late and we've been gabbing for hours like a pair of old witches. You can sleep in my bed. I'll take the couch."

"Don't be ridiculous, Moony. I'll conjure a cot in the living room."

"Conjured furniture only lasts a few hours and Dumbledore will be longer than that"

"Then I'll take the couch," Sirius argued, "I'm not kicking you out of your bed."

"Fine, first one to the couch takes it," Remus kicked the chair out from under his friend and heard the thump and swearing even as he was vaulting over the back of the couch to land neatly on the cushions.

Sirius emerged from the kitchen glaring at the werewolf and rubbing his posterior, "Just for that, I'm taking your bed," he grumbled, heading into the bedroom.

Remus laughed and rolled over, closing his eyes.


	5. Dumbledore's Plans Part 1

**Author's Note:** My apologies for not updating this weekend like I had been. I hadn't really thought anyone was reading, so I didn't hurry myself about it. I'm in the middle of selling a house and preparing to move to start school again, so life's been a bit on the hectic side. Still I found something interesting about myself. Flattery does get me to do things. This bit's for **catwalking.owl** who is really too kind and I hope I don't disappoint.

Also thanks to those who have alerted the story who I haven't yet acknowledged, SiriusHarryPotter, iPickle11, hate to love you, and catwalking.owl

This chapter is only a two parter and is unfortunately what I always call "necessary filler." Not overly action packed, but necessary for story progression.

* * *

Chapter 2 - Dumbledore's Plans (Part 1)

Remus's eyes flew open, hearing footsteps. He glanced about the living room confused for a moment before the events of last night rushed back to him. He wasn't in his bedroom because Sirius was, and it was Sirius's steps he was hearing. He sat up, yawning as Sirius appeared from the bedroom.

"Never could get up without waking you," Sirius shook his head sleepily.

"You know I don't sleep that well anyway," Remus shrugged, stretching, and groaning when a series of pops emitted from his joints.

Sirius shuddered, "Do you have to do that before breakfast?"

"You try having your skeleton rearranged every month for thirty years and see if you can keep your joints from being loose," Remus replied arching his back with a series of cracks.

"Ugh," Sirius put his hands over his ears and went into the kitchen.

Remus popped a few more joints before getting up, attempting with one hand to tame his tousled hair, and joining his friend. He found Sirius with his head in the fridge.

"Remus, you don't have anything in here," He stood up, looking concerned.

"Sorry, that was the last of it last night. I haven't had a chance to go to the market in a few days." Actually, he hadn't had the money, but he didn't want his friend to know that. He'd been trying to make those eggs and bread last till the end of the week, "I'll make some tea and go after Dumbledore leaves." He reached for the tea tin and frowned at how light it was. "Well," he said, a bit chagrined, as he unscrewed the lid and saw only tea dust. He hadn't paid attention to the amount he made last night with the suddenness of Sirius's arrival, "perhaps he won't want tea."

He began going through cabinets, hoping there was something he'd forgotten to offer Sirius and Dumbledore. He'd only gone through two when Sirius stopped him.

"Remus, do you have any food?" He asked softly.

"Sorry," he replied, trying to sound light, "Must not have realized I was so low," he started moving towards the bedroom to change clothes, "Listen, stay here. If Dumbledore shows up before I get back, tell him where I've gone. I shouldn't be long."

"Remus," Sirius caught him by the elbow, "do you have money for food?"

Remus sighed, "No, but the grocer is constantly battling imps stealing from his fruit barrels. I get a certain amount of food from him every month for keeping wards up for him. I'm supposed to come at the end of the week, but he's fairly reasonable. He'll probably let me go ahead and grab a few things before he opens." He pulled away gently so he could dress.

"Why before he opens?" Sirius followed him.

Remus sighed, resigned to dressing as he began to induct Sirius into the daily life of an outed werewolf, "He can't very well risk having his customers see me there. If they knew he was 

letting me in the market, he'd lose all his business. It's really very kind he's made this arrangement with me at all."

"Kind!" Sirius growled, "If the man had any spine, he'd tell his customers that he'll sell to who he damn well pleases!"

"Not now, Sirius, please," he begged, pulling a worn oxford shirt over his head, "If I don't get there, I won't have time to slip in."

Before Sirius could reply, they were interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Oh bugger it," Remus sighed. It could only be Dumbledore. With Sirius's arrival last night, this made his second visitor since he'd arrived at his parent's former home.

He opened the door, standing aside and inviting the elder wizard into the house. Dumbledore entered, carrying a basket.

"Good morning, Remus, Sirius," he nodded at each of them, "I hope you don't mind," he said, holding up a basket, "I brought tea and pumpkin juice as well as a few bites to eat. It seems that one of the kitchen elves, Tinky, remembers you both fondly, and I'm afraid she may have overstuffed the basket."

"Good old Tinky," Sirius grinned, watching as Dumbledore unloaded their favorite foods. There was not only breakfast, but several days' worth of meals.

Remus succeeded in smiling, but couldn't help ducking his head. Seeing this, but knowing better than to speak, Sirius slung an arm across his friend's shoulders.

"Why don't we all tuck in? It is much easier to discuss unpleasant things with a full stomach." The headmaster said.

The trio sat down at the table. Dumbledore sipped quietly on his tea as he watched the boys eat their fill. He observed with regret that both were entirely too thin. Remus was doing his best not to lose his dignity as he dug into chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate syrup. Sirius just barely managed to shell his boiled egg before disposing of it in one mouthful. They slowed down after several minutes, both chewing happily on floppy bacon.

"Please, continue eating, the both of you. It looks as if it has been too long since you both enjoyed a good meal. Remus, I trust Sirius has apprised you of the situation." Dumbledore began.

Remus nodded, trying to finish chewing.

"Oh please, keep eating," Dumbledore waved him on, "I have received word from everyone you contacted, Sirius, and I am happy to report that all of them are willing to rejoin the effort. Thank you for your assistance in that."

"It's good to finally be doing something besides looking after my own skin," Sirius said.

"Which leads me to my visit here this morning; the Order is ready to reform, however, since Mr. Pettigrew has, I am quite sure, shared all of our secrets with his new master, the Founder's 

Cottage will no longer serve its purpose. We shall need a new place to meet," Dumbledore's gaze shifted from grey eyes to blue.

"Well," Remus began, wiping his mouth with a Hogwart's napkin, "you're welcome to use this house, Albus, but there were often times that members would need to stay the night. This house is rather on the cozy side, I fear."

"And there are anti-Apparition wards around the property," Sirius glared at him. "You'd have to apparate to the end of the road and walk to meetings."

"Better than accidentally apparating to the front door of a werewolf during the full moon," Remus replied calmly.

"While I appreciate your willingness to offer up your childhood home, Remus, I think you are right that this house is a bit small for our needs," Dumbledore interrupted.

"Well, why not trade one childhood home for another," Sirius said. Dumbledore turned his attention to him, "My parents' house is ridiculously huge, conveniently unused, and hilariously ironic." Sirius smirked.

Dumbledore seemed to think for a moment, his long-fingered hands steepled in front of him, "If I remember correctly, your parents' house is in London?"

Sirius nodded, "Yes, in a muggle district oddly enough, but hidden of course."

"Yes, I that will do nicely, but I think for added protection, we should put a Fidelis charm on the location," Dumbledore said.

"Remus should be Secret-Keeper then," Sirius said immediately.

Remus smiled softly. Sirius was as blunt as a mallet most of the time and it extended to everything, even apologies.

"Remus will be needed in the field," Dumbledore replied, "I have no doubts, of course, that the charm would be in good hands," Remus waved him off without offense, "but the Secret-Keeper must be someone who will be in a relatively safe position. I had hoped that you would agree, Sirius?"

"Well I'll be in the field too," Sirius laughed.

"I'm afraid that will be impossible," Dumbledore told him delicately.

"And why is that?" Sirius growled.

"My boy, I'm afraid that you are in the unique position of being wanted by both the Death Eaters and the Ministry. You cannot walk about freely, which limits the amount of information you could obtain. If you were in an engagement the Death Eaters and aurors came on scene, they would go for you before anyone else. If you were to be caught by the Ministry, you would be given the Dementor's Kiss, and I have no wish for you to become a shell of a human being. I hope you will forgive me for that." Dumbledore held nothing back.

"What exactly do you expect me to do then? Pack lunches?" Sirius asked bitterly.

"You will be in charge of headquarters," Dumbledore told him, "You will see that teams coming and going check in and out, coordinate the meetings, see to supplies…I daresay you will be kept quite busy."

"A house elf could do everything you just said," Sirius grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Remus, we will likely be recruiting several new members. I want you to be in charge of seeing that they have all the information and training necessary. Alastor has already given me the names of two aurors that he feels will be inclined to join. One is a senior auror, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He will most likely be fairly well trained, but we will need to test him. He will at least need to be taught the patronus charm. It seems that it is no longer taught since the Ministry believes they have control of the Dementors and I do believe that having taught a thirteen year old to cast the charm, you would be the perfect person to teach a few aurors. The other is a junior auror just out of her apprenticeship. Alastor speaks highly of her; she is, I believe, something of a protégé, but says that she still has much to learn."

"If she has Moody's approval, I'm sure she'll be fine," Remus nodded.

"There is also the Weasley's: Arthur and Molly, of course, and their two oldest Bill and Charlie. Bill is a Gringott's curse-breaker, so he has experience against dark artifacts and malevolent spirits. Charlie is a dragon-keeper and has a solid background in dark creatures, but both will need some further guidance. Subduing spirits and creatures is not the same as dueling dark wizards."

"What about Percy?" Remus asked, remembering him from his classes, "He went into the Ministry, did he not? He could be a valuable member."

"There have been some complications. I will brief everyone at our first meeting, but Percy has not shown that he is trust-worthy at the moment," Dumbledore said sadly.

"I will work out a basic test for all new Order members to get an idea of where each of them are and make out a training plan from there," Remus said.

"Very well then, if that is settled, there is still the matter of the Secret-Keeper?" Dumbledore looked between the other two.

The two Marauders nodded at one another, and then Sirius said, "I think you're the most obvious choice, Albus."

Dumbledore nodded, "Very well then. Remus, if you would please?"


	6. Dumbledore's Plans Part 2

Author's Note: My apologies for the prolonged absence. I was indeed able to sell my house and was subsequently kicked out of it ASAP by terms of the contract, so I have been moving furniture and finding a new temporary place to live until I can move to the next state. Thus my computer has been in storage and my mind has been mushy and ineffectual. But moving on...

Thanks to the new alerts by **Lady Beatle** and **TheMissingGryff09** (I believe you're the new ones).

**catwalking.owl** - I'm quite glad that I haven't disappointed so far. We all know Dumbledore has the ability to predict just what people need and I fear in a rather sneaky way knows how to make them a tad bit grateful and willing to do what he asks. Thanks for the wishes on the house. They worked! **Wolviesfan** - I think Remus is quite overlooked. There's much evidence that he's a much more powerful wizard than he is often taken for and I have my own pet theory behind that that I hope to get into in the story. Thus, the evidence of strong wandless magic even at a younger age. Don't fear, I do not intend to make Remus perfect because that would be against JK Rowling's intentions for the character and besides, perfect characters are plastic and boring.

**SiriusHarryPotter** - Glad you're enjoying. Yes, I'm a bit of a stickler on grammar. I don't use a beta and I often write late at night so I am prone to some careless errors now and again, but they irk me when I find them. In another life, I'm sure I was someones most hated english professor lecturing about the intricacies of the usage of commas.

**Maliani **- Yes, still writing and trying to forge on. Everyone knows that Remus is poor and why and that is part of his character, but I aim to avoid the "woe is me I'm a poor pitiful werewolf" that I sometimes read. He knows he's poor and he knows its not his fault, what makes him uncomfortable is the thought of being pitied, so if you see my slipping him into poor, pitiful Remus, yell at me! :) The house selling went relatively smooth if overly fast and tiring. I live in the US as well and yes, the housing market is tough, so I have been very lucky.

* * *

Chapter 2 - Dumbledore's Plans (Part 2)

The three wizards stood. Sirius faced the headmaster. Remus retrieved his wand and held it over the other men's hands as they clasped them together.

"The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at number 12 Grimmauld Place, London," Sirius said.

Remus waved his wand and said, "Fidelis secretum." A blue glow shone softly between the palms of the two before fading.

"Nicely done, I think, but to test it," he nodded at Sirius.

"The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is located at…" Sirius appeared to struggle for a moment.

"Well, I think that answers that," Dumbledore smiled standing. "I would like to convene the first meeting as soon as possible. If I could impose upon the two of you to see that the new headquarters is serviceable by Monday?"

"Monday?!" Sirius started, "Albus that house has been vacant since my mother was finally pulled screeching into the afterlife seven years ago."

"Oh I don't expect it to be ready to show for sale. One room will do nicely," Dumbledore said pleasantly, "Afterwards, I think Molly Weasley will be of valuable assistance getting the rest of the house into shape."

"Cleaning and packing lunches," Sirius grumbled, "Oh what jolly fun this will be."

"Want to go back to Azkaban?" Remus inquired. Sirius shot him a dirty look.

"Well then, I expect the two of you have much to be getting on with. I shall leave you for now. I intend to hold the meeting at nine o'clock Monday evening if you think that will give you enough time?" He said.

Sirius nodded, "We will at least have the kitchen ready by then. Any other place might have wards on them. We'll have to go through the rest of the house more carefully, but no one except the house elves were ever in the kitchen."

"The kitchen it is then. Send me a message if you need anything. I would avoid the owl post if I were you. I suspect things are about to get quite complicated with the Ministry. Neither of your patronuses has changed its form, has it?"

Remus shook his head. Sirius shrugged, "I haven't got a wand."

"Here," Remus said, handing his over. "You've been able to use mine in the past."

"Ah yes," Sirius took the wand, running one hand over it, "Twelve inches, eucalyptus and dragon horn from a rather majestic elderly Highland razorback, strong but flexible, excellent for defense," he recited. Remus rolled his eyes. Sirius closed his eyes for a fraction and waved the wand, "Expecto patronum!"

A massive creature erupted from the tip of the wand, bounding out on mighty paws. The lion leapt a few paces before turning and shaking its mane, its tail swishing. Its mouth opened in a silent roar before the patronus slowly dissipated into mist and was gone.

Dumbledore nodded, "I shall contact Mr. Ollivander immediately. Be prepared to go to Diagon Alley as Padfoot tonight and meet him behind the Leaky Cauldron. You need a new wand."

"Merlin forbid I should have to scrub the floors by hand," Sirius groused.

"Sirius, there is nothing I can do at the moment to change the situation," Dumbledore said, "The time will come when the truth shall be known. You are a valuable member of the Order and your talents in the field will be missed, but there is much you can do at headquarters that will be just as important. If you cannot accept that, then please consider keeping yourself safe for Harry."

"I want to fight for Harry," Sirius leaned forward.

"The time will come when all of us will be engaged in battle. The Ministry will cease to be of consequence. It will come down to those who support Voldemort and those who oppose him. You will have your day to fight," Dumbledore said. "Harry is of vital importance to the outcome of this war, Sirius. He has faced Lord Voldemort four times, four times Lord Voldemort tried to kill him, and four times he has escaped virtually unharmed. No one else has accomplished such a feat. It is critical that we do everything that we can to ensure his well-being, and that includes seeing to it that he does not lose another that he loves."

"Don't try to guilt me into submission," Sirius growled, "I've loved Harry from the moment he was born, but I refuse to sit on the sidelines when it's his future that's at stake. Remus and I both put our hands on his head when his hair was still wet and swore to protect him."

"And you will, Sirius," Remus interrupted, "The time will come when we will all have to step forward. All Albus is asking is the same he asks of any of us, to not put ourselves at unnecessary risk. Right now, you're the most wanted wizard in the world. Everyone knows your face…"

"But…"

"And the Death Eaters will know your animagus form," Remus continued over his protest.

"What does that matter?" Sirius growled, "With Peter in their ranks, the Death Eaters will know everyone from the old Order."

"Yes, but the Death Eaters aren't likely to receive an Order of Merlin for turning the rest of us in," Remus shot back, "And wouldn't that be smashing to see Avery or Malfoy or the lovely dangerous creature executor MacNair commended for your capture."

"Fine," Sirius huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Sirius, just please use your reason," Remus said.

"I'll use my reason," Sirius glared, "but I won't swear to sit by while everyone else works."

"I would never ask that of you," Dumbledore assured him, "There will be much to do. Remember tonight at midnight, I should think. Mr. Ollivander will be expecting you behind the Leaky Cauldron."

"Tonight at midnight," Remus nodded, seeing the headmaster to the door.

Sirius was still executing a successful pout when he returned, "You know I really think your animagus form should be a mule you stubborn idiot."

"What do you expect?" Sirius flung his arms into the air as he stood, knocking his chair over, and began to pace, "Voldemort's risen, the Order's reforming, and I get told that I have to stay safe at headquarters and let everyone else do the work."

Remus leaned calmly against the door frame, letting his friend get out every frustration he'd bottled while Dumbledore was there.

"I have to sit by and watch everyone come and go from missions, gathering information and fighting and all the while I'll be polishing the silver!"

"Just try not to leave it out where I might step on it," Remus replied.

"Sure, joke about it. Who's supposed to watch your back while you're out there? We were always a team before. James and Lily would take their missions, and you and I would take ours."

"Yes, I know," Remus said, "I sometimes wonder if that's where Peter began to stray."

"He said he was fined teamed with Mundungus," Sirius scoffed.

"Peter never wanted to rock the boat and Mundungus probably abandoned him more often than not, but that's history," Remus sighed, "You think I don't want you out there too?"

"Moony, you're putting a downer on my rant here."

Remus grinned, "I apologize. Please, continue."

"No, it's ruined now." Sirius crossed his arms in front of him.

Remus crossed the room, standing in front of his old friend and put his hands on the other's shoulders, "You are not useless and you will not be useless. It's just going to take some time. Until then, we'll plan ways to corrupt Harry. He spends too much time getting in trouble and not enough time creating it like his father."

Sirius smiled fondly, then started, "Blast, we forgot to ask Dumbledore about letting him come stay."

"We'll ask him at the meeting Monday," Remus assured him, "Now what do you say we see what else Tinky put in that basket."

Late that night, a shabby figure and a large, scruffy black dog silhouetted through the street lamps of a seldom traveled London street. The dog stopped often to sniff, the man seeming impatient as he did, but his eyes shifted back and forth, taking in everything. The two approached a small door way, a wrought iron sign with a witch stirring a cauldron overhead. A whimper gathered the man's attention and he paused before pushing the door open. The dog circled back to the end of the building and lifted his leg on the corner before joining the man who gave him a disapproving look.

Inside, the chairs were already on top of the tables; a mop soared around the room, shooting back and forth underneath the tables. Behind the bar, Tom spat into a mug and wiped it with a towel. He glanced up as the bell over the door tinkled and man and dog walked in. Tom nodded, then tilted his head towards the door to the back alley. Remus nodded in return, moving quickly past the bar. The dog trot after him, glancing wistfully over the counter. They went through the door that led to a small, brick-enclosed back alley. Waiting there was a small, silver-haired man with overly-large lamp-like eyes. Neither man spoke, but merely nodded, the smaller man also nodding at the dog before tapping the brick wall with his wand. The bricks rearranged themselves, opening into an empty moonlit alley. They walked in silence the short distance to the shop, entering silently and unobserved. Once the door was locked behind them, the little man smiled.

"Remus Lupin," he said delightedly, "Such a pleasure to see you again. I remember you well, a rare eucalyptus wand, twelve inches with a dragon horn from a rather majestic elderly Highland razorback, strong but flexible, excellent for defense."

Remus nodded, pulling his wand out for Mr. Ollivander's inspection.

"Ah yes, I see you've taken excellent care of it," he nodded approvingly, handing it back and turning to his other guest, "And Sirius Black."

The dog morphed and Sirius held out a hand, "Mr. Ollivander."

"Yes, dogwood and unicorn hair, thirteen inches, pliable, particularly useful for charms."

"That it was," Sirius nodded,

"I was quite unhappy to see it snapped. I never would have believed it would perform the curse they claimed it had. I was delighted when Professor Dumbledore explained the circumstances to me. I'm sure I will be able to find you a suitable replacement. In fact…" he disappeared down the aisles of his shop and returned shortly with a dusty cylinder with a tasseled end, "Try this one, ash and a hair from the same unicorn as your first wand."

Sirius took it eagerly and flicked the wand. A jet of air blew the papers from Mr. Ollivander's desk.

"Hmm," Ollivander frowned throughtfully, "typically replacement wands with the same core work quite well. Curious." He disappeared again, this time a bit longer. Sirius sighed and sat down at the desk. Remus leaned against the wall. Finally, Ollivander returned, several boxes stacked in his arms.

Sirius tried all of those wands, and then more, and then more until a pile of wands, boxes, and pieces of Mr. Ollivander's shop surrounded him at the desk.

"I give up!" Sirius growled as Remus repaired the light fixture, "We'll just share yours, Remus. You cast a spell, then I'll cast a spell." He crossed his arms and huffed.

"You're able to use Mr. Lupin's wand?" Mr. Ollivander's moonish eyes gazed between them, "Well why didn't you say so," he disappeared again, mumbling. He returned quickly, coughing and waving away a cloud of dust, "Try this one."

Sirius took the wand, immediately feeling its warmth. He waved it and a shower of rose petals fell onto his head.

"Curious, everything about you has changed," he said, taking the wand and wrapping it up.

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"Well, you know the wand chooses the wizard, but usually if a replacement is needed, the wood and cores do not tend to vary drastically. At the most, a wizard will stay within the same family of properties. Your original wand was best at powerful bursts of magic, strong spells and results. That usually does not vary. This wand, however, is strong, but focused. It is the brother wand to Mr. Lupin's. Bamboo and dragon horn, inflexible, twelve and a quarter inches, best for defense."

"I still don't understand what that means," Sirius said.

"Nothing bad," Mr. Ollivander smiled, "Simply that you've changed. If you'll forgive me saying, twelve years in Azkaban is enough to alter the way any wizard's magic works. You're not damaged," Ollivander said hurriedly at the concerned look on Sirius's face, "Your magic has simply become more concentrated. I think you'll find that wand will suit you well.

"It's wonderful to see you both again," Ollivander escorted them towards the door, "Professor Dumbledore has kept me updated on your career, Mr. Lupin. I've been delighted to see how you've grown."

Remus paused, "I don't understand."

"Well, a werewolf has never been trained to fully qualified wizardry before. Trained wizards have become werewolves, but never the reverse. Werewolves have their own kind of magic just as any other magical creature, as I'm sure you know. I was merely curious to see how the two types of magic would mesh. I'm delighted to see that they result in something special."

Remus wasn't sure how to respond, but was saved as Sirius again thanked Mr. Ollivander for his wand before becoming Padfoot again. The two silently made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron.


	7. Number 12 Grimmauld Place

**Author's Notes: **Glad everyone's hanging in there! Thanks for the new alerts and favs by **Lady Beatle, cozmic, **and **ylana.** Welcome, hope you continue to enjoy

**ylana** - Glad you're enjoying my take on Remus and Sirius. I agree there wasn't nearly enough of their interaction in the books. We were given tantalizing hints of the brotherhood the Marauders shared, but it was afterall, Harry's story, so I suppose the rest of us will just have to let our imaginations run rampant about other characters. The flashbacks are actually the result of me having ideas for both a "history of Remus" story and the "behind the scenes of the series" story of Remus that this is primarily. The history story was disjointed, flashes of scenes really, thus the "flashbacks." I hope you continue to enjoy.

**catwalking.owl** - Glad you're still enjoying. I do love writing banter. I just imagine talking to my best friend.

**Wolviesfan** - You are indeed right that I theorize Remus's werewolf magic combined with wizard magic made him a unique case. Wands use bits of magical creatures to help a wizard focus their own magic. So, if one WERE a magical creature...just a pet theory. Remus has grown quite a bit in the years that Sirius has been away, but his base nature of wanting to please will remain. I suspect Remus always was the one to try to make James and Sirius see reason only to go along in the end anyway. As to the brother wand issue, I have long learned when writing that things get written without any preplanning from me that become significant later even to my surprise. Yet another reason I believe that stories exist somewhere intact and the author just stumbles along them to put them to paper...or computer screen. As to the silver, I've done some research on werewolves to great disappointment on my part. Either it is utter rubbish on how to tell if you yourself or your neighbor is a werewolf (google "recognizing a werewolf" some time) or history of criminals and kings (such as King Lycaos, hence lycanthropy) who were rumors to be werewolves and yet often proved to be mentally ill or just psychos like Jeffery Dahmer. I can find scant little about the mythology of the werewolf. I'll take recommendations if anyone has found something worth reading. The reaction to silver is actually a Hollywood invention from what I can find only as old as the first half of the twentieth century, but it is so solidified in popular werewolf culture, I decided to keep it, but make it like a severe reaction rather than exposure death.

And now...a chapter that's not divided!!

* * *

Chapter 3 - Number 12 Grimmauld Place

The scratched, black door with the silver snake head knocker slid open with a long creak revealing darkness beyond.

Remus opened his hand, blue flames appearing without a word as two wizards entered and shut the door behind them.

"I love it when you do that," Sirius said.

"You always were easily entertained," Remus replied, squinting into the blackness. The smell of mold and dankness was overpowering to his sensitive nose and he was too late stifling a sneeze.

"Who's there!" a voice demanded from the end of the hall.

Remus immediately closed his palm, extinguishing the flame and both wizards split apart, drawing their wands.

They edged along the wall in the darkness when the voice again shrieked, "Who dares enter the House of Black?! Thieves and scavengers! How did you enter this home?!"

"Mum?" Sirius's voice asked unbelieving. "Lumos."

Remus squinted at the sudden burst of harsh light from Sirius's new wand tip.

"Regulus?" The whisper was soft and hopeful, still in shadow at the end of the hallway.

"No," Sirius said as they drew closer, the light finally falling on a painting of an older woman wearing a black cap, her yellowing skin stretched tight upon a once aristocratic face. Her eyes twitched back and forth, searching the darkness. Sirius brought his wand tip under his chin to light his face.

"You!" The painting said suspiciously, "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in Azkaban."

"I escaped," Sirius said, gazing at the image of his mother. The portrait was nothing like he remembered her. His mother had been a handsome woman, never one of light, feminine beauty, but of noble bearing and forbidding stature. This withered woman clung desperately to an image long lost to her.

"You should have lost your mind in that place," the woman retorted, her eyes narrowed.

"I was innocent."

"Well of course you were," Walburga Black spat, "I'd have finally had a reason to be proud of you if you'd actually turned in the Potters and given those Muggles the end they deserved, but no, my son, the last scion of the House of Black has always been a blood traitor. Scum! Shame of my flesh!"

Sirius's eyes narrowed dangerously, "Well get used to seeing me around again, mother. I've volunteer _my_ house as the new headquarters for the reborn Order of the Phoenix, so you'll be seeing a lot of blood traitors and muggle-lovers," Sirius stared savoring for the moment as the woman in the portrait sputtered and spat, lost for words. Moving away from the portrait deeper into the house, Sirius said over his shoulder, "Oh mother, you remember my friend Remus Lupin, the half-blood. Did I ever tell you he's a werewolf too?"

"Diseased filth!" The portrait shrieked, "Disgusting half-breed! How dare you befoul the house of my fathers..."

Remus sighed and rolled his eyes, following his friend.

"I think the first order of business should be taking down that portrait."

The two made their way into the kitchen. Layers of dust coated every surface and cobwebs hung limply from what once must have been a grand chandelier.

"Merlin," Sirius coughed, waving his hand distastefully in front of his face as he walked into a web, "I suppose Kreacher died."

"What is Kreacher?" Remus asked as he surveyed the room.

"Our old house elf," Sirius replied, "He was old when I was a boy, so I can't say I'm surprised. He seemed to continue to live just to spite me. Still, it would have been nice if he was still on the job."

"Ah, I remember you talking about him now," Remus said from where he was examining a cupboard, "Well, hissing about him would be more accurate."

"Yes, well once I was placed into Gryffindor and became a shame to the family, he was as nasty as he could be and still fulfilled his bond. Careful, Remus, that's the silver cupboard."

"Ah," Remus took his hand away, "I wonder where the cleaning supplies are?"

"They used to be in the back of Kreacher's burrow," Sirius stuck his head into a dark crevice, "Merlin it smells. I hope he didn't cork it in here. I'd hate to find his ugly little corpse. Nope, no cleaning supplies." Sirius pulled himself back out, wiping dust off his clothes and out of his hair, "I suppose we'll just have to scourgify the hell out of everything," Sirius sighed looking around, "Unless you have money to buy some?"

"Ha ha. Scourgifying will have to do. It'll suffice for the meeting anyway," Remus sighed.

"It'll have to," Sirius shrugged reaching past Remus to draw a silver goblet from the cupboard and filling it with water.

"You don't happen to have anything besides silver by any chance?"

"Of course not," Siruis snorted, "Nothing but the best for the noble and most ancient House of Black," he said, raising his goblet with one hand and giving a one-fingered salute with the other.

Shaking his head, Remus glanced about and spied a bug scuttling across the floor. He pointed his wand and mumbled, "Feraverto." Picking up the small water goblet, he poured himself a glass as well, "Surprised the water still works."

"Me too," Sirius nodded, looking throughtfully at Remus's goblet, "You're drinking out of a bug's backside, you do know that?"

Remus shrugged, "Protein?"

Sirius leaned against the counter, staring at Remus contemplating, "You know, I only just realized something."

"I'm flattered, Sirius, but I'm not gay."

"Ass," Sirius bumped shoulders, "Besides, if I were going to switch teams, I'm quite sure you wouldn't be my type. No, our first night at Hogwarts, the settings were silver, but after that it was always gold."

"You remember that after all these years?" Remus looked at him surprised.

"Thinking about Hogwarts kept me sane. Plus, the older students made a bit of a fuss over it, remember, wondering why it'd changed?"

_Remus Lupin could hardly believe it. He was at Hogwarts! He was actually sitting in the Great Hall at Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The enchanted ceiling he'd read about time and again hung over him, showing the almost but not quite, no not yet, full moon peering out behind the clouds. He frowned at it for a moment, disliking the reminder of reality glowing down on him when the red and gold Gryffindor banner over the table swayed to obstruct the moon from view, reminding him that he was indeed at Hogwarts and at the Gryffindor table no less! His gaze moved from the scarlet banner with the gold lion flying over his head to the proud line that spanned the room: the blue with the bronze raven, the yellow with the black badger, and finally, the green with the silver snake where he had expected to have to sit. After all, were else could he, a dark creature, go but to the house that produced the most dark wizards? _

_A great commotion across the hall turned Remus's attention back to the table to observe mounds and mounds of food spread before him, more food than he had ever seen together! Chicken legs, hams, roasts, meat pies, lamb, great bowls of seasoned potatoes, carrots, greens, beans…everywhere he looked his mouth watered._

_Enthusiastically, he grabbed two chicken legs from the platter in front of him. Two black haired boys across from him were chucking bread rolls down the table and he grabbed one out of the air before they were all airborne._

"_Nice one," grinned the one with glasses, "You could try out for seeker."_

_The boy's attention didn't stay on Remus long enough to reply, but he grinned._

_He reached next for the spoon buried in the potatoes, but when his fingers closed around it, a searing pain shot up his hand. He hissed and dropped the spoon, pulling his hand to his body and glancing furtively around him. No one seemed to have noticed. Glancing down at his hand, he observed the raw red blistering flesh from the silver burn._

_At the staff table, the small boy was being unknowingly observed. Dumbledore's eyes widened when he saw the child hastily drop the silver. How could he have forgotten, the old wizard frowned. He watched as the boy looked at his fingers, then look to his place setting and then again at the gleaming serving silver laying up and down the table. _

_Beside him, Professor McGonagall's chair began to stir. He quickly placed his hand over hers, "No, Minerva, it would only draw attention," he said softly._

"_But Albus, that burn will be severe," she said concerned._

"_We will tend to him when the feast is done," he assured her._

"_How is he to eat?" McGonagall asked._

"_He will have to figure something out," Dumbledore replied softly, "I do not know how I could have forgotten, but he will have to make do. If this is to work, if he is going to remain here, he will have to learn to think on his feet."_

_Back at the long table, Remus was surveying his plate. He had chicken and bread, both of which he could manage with his fingers, so he bit into a leg, ignoring the pain in his hand. He was accustomed to ignoring pain._

"_Why ever aren't you having any vegetables?" A curious voice asked from beside him._

_Remus turned to face the greenest pair of eyes he'd ever seen. He stared dumbly at them for a second, a bit of chicken hanging from his mouth before a giggle brought him around, "I, er…"_

"_Just because we're away from our parents doesn't mean we get out of eating our vegetables," the girl said, heaping a spoonful of potatoes on his plate, followed by a healthy portion of greens._

"_Oi, what are you, his mum?" The other black haired boy smirked._

_The girl observed the other boy's plate, piled high with roast and gravy and promptly plopped spinach on top of it._

"_Hey!" The boy cried indignantly._

_His friend with the glasses snickered, "She got you there, mate."_

_The girl turned away from the two with a roll of her eyes, "I'm Lily Evans," she held out her hand._

_Remus took it tenderly, "Remus Lupin," he said, studying the face behind those green eyes with its peaches and cream complexion and long red hair._

_The girl gasped as she went to take his hand, "What happened?" She turned his hand over, studying the blistered skin._

"_Oh, um, I burned it on one of the lanterns on the boat," Remus stammered._

"_Wicked cool," One of the boys said, leaning over the table to see. Lily glared at him, "Oh, I'm Sirius Black," He introduced himself, sitting back in his seat, "and this is James Potter," he thumbed at the boy in glasses._

"_Pleasure," she said absently as she studied Remus's hand, "You really should go to the hospital wing, you know. That looks terribly painful."_

"_You sure you didn't bring your mum with you?" The boy named Sirius asked._

"_No," Remus snatched his hand back, "Its fine, really. Besides, I'm really hungry. I haven't eaten since this morning."_

"_Well all right," Lily didn't sound very happy about it, but she let up. Remus turned back to his plate, now piled with food. Suddenly grateful for his too long secondhand robes, Remus allowed the long sleeve to fall over his hand and grasped the fork, spearing a potato and gingerly pulling it off the tines with his teeth._

"_Well, that certainly worked out well," Dumbledore observed._

"_Yes, but what is the boy to do tomorrow and for the next seven years. It will be obvious if he uses a unique place setting." MacGonagall asked._

"_Oh, I think I can have the matter taken care of before morning," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling as he watched the young werewolf eating and chatting with young Miss Evans._

_After the feast, none of the first years noticed the Headmaster approaching the Gryffindor line, "Mr. Lupin."_

_Remus turned at the familiar voice, his insides sinking at being singled out so soon, "Yes sir."_

"_Congratulations on being placed into Gryffindor," he lifted his eyes, "Indeed, congratulations to you all, but I must ask to see your hand," his attention returned to the sandy haired boy. Remus looked up at him startled, then held out his palm, "Dear me, that looks frightful. Burned it on one of the lanterns, did you?" Remus's jaw dropped, but he nodded. "Yes, happens every few years it seems. Mr. Longbottom, I will be taking young Mr. Lupin to the hospital wing. I will escort him to Gryffindor tower as soon as Madam Pomfrey has fixed him up." A young man in Gryffindor robes with a small badge nodded, then herded the rest of the students away._

_Remus walked quietly beside the Headmaster, trying to memorize the route to the hospital wing as he supposed he'd be getting quite familiar with the place._

"_Tell me, young Remus," Dumbledore's voice broke the quiet, "How do you like Hogwarts so far?"_

"_If I had to leave tomorrow, sir, this would have been the best day of my life!"_

_Dumbledore chuckled, "Well, I am glad that you are so impressed, but I do hope it only gets better from here. I owe you an apology."_

"_Sir?" Remus asked, startled, then clapped his good hand over his mouth, realizing he'd interrupted._

"_I should have remembered the silver serving pieces and settings. This should never have happened."_

"_Well, I don't suppose one can remember everything, can they sir?" Remus said, looking up at the older wizard._

"_I don't believe that many would choose to if they could," he replied softly, "but not to worry. We will have the situation resolved by the morning."_

_Remus looked up, puzzled, "How will you do that, sir?"_

"_Tell me, young Remus, do you know what a philosopher's stone is?"_

"_Yes sir. It's legendary. It makes the elixir of life."_

"_Very good," Dumbledore nodded, "Do you know of anything else it does?"_

"_It's supposed to turn anything into gold."_

"_Also correct. I believe you've just earned five points for Gryffindor," he smiled._

_Remus beamed, "Th…thank you sir. But sir, why are you asking me about a philosopher's stone?"_

"_Well it just so happens, I have a good friend that has one, and I am sure that he will lend it to me for the evening," Dumbledore placed his hand on Remus's shoulders as they entered the Hospital Wing, "I think Hogwarts is long overdue for a change in cutlery."_

"Dumbledore can get his hands on a philosopher's stone?" Sirius gaped at him. "I don't suppose I should be surprised, I mean, this is Dumbledore, but still."

"I believe that it's since been destroyed," Remus said.

"Ah well, I suppose he knows how to make another if it ever catches his fancy. Wonder if he'd teach me," he said musingly, looking about the kitchen. "What do you reckon, good enough for the first meeting."

Remus looked around, pleased with what had been accomplished with only wandwork, "Yes, I think it'll do as long as no one's too finicky."


	8. The Order of the Phoenix Part 1

**Author's Note:** My immense, immense apologies for leaving you guys hanging so long. My life's been a bit crazy. To keep a long story short, I had been living with my neighbor after I sold my house with limited net access, then I moved to another state and had no net access for a bit, then I started medical school where I had no brain for a bit (because it was busy oozing out of my ears), and now that we've had our first set of exams, I have a few days to breathe a bit before brain oozage begins again. And what with the bit about starting medical school, obviously my free time has suddenly been decimated, so my goal is to be able to provide you at least an update a month. I'll try to do two, but realistically it may only be one. I'm sorry about this.

In this bit, I have figured the Weasley children ages to the best of my ability, but it is possible I've messed up. If I have, just mentally adjust accordingly. It's really not that critical to plot.

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**Wolviesfan - **Yes, I was very frustrated at the lack of consistency in werewolf mythology, but it does give one license to play a bit. I deliberated on the silver issue and I did consider sickles. I theorized that sickles may be a silver alloy (pure silver being the only harmful form) but in the end, decided that was a cop out, so I have worked another solution for that issue. Cause lets face it, I doubt Remus often has galleons on him.

**ylana** - Glad you enjoyed. I thought it was fun to bring in the Philosopher's stone angle. Some things writers do for plot, others we do purely because it tickles us to do so.

**Gulogirl** - Nice to see a new face. Yes, I love Sirius and Remus stories and I also do not see that as a coupling. Nothing against it, as you said, and I've seen some good plots in some of those stories, but I always saw the Marauders as brothers by choice, something I find to be quite sacred and I personally wouldn't choose to follow that angle with it. I'm not known for being subtle, so I'm sure readers have seen the winks to the theory that the two were more than friends, but I like to think that these four boys and young men were the best of friends and chosen brothers and thus they tease and rough-house, but are still nothing more. Ah, the voluntary transformation. I really did struggle with whether or not I wanted to do that. It will not factor much into the story. Remus will not be popping into werewolf form like an animagus. He doesn't like being a werewolf and twelves times a year is more times to spend furry than he would prefer. As for the seeming inconsistency of why Greyback would position himself near children at the full moon if he could transform any time, I did consider that and I have a solution to it, but I would prefer not to explain as it might come into the story later. If I see that it doesn't come in, I'll explain in my notes. The one bad thing about posting a story bit by bit before it's entirely finished is that if you do dig yourself a plot hole, it makes it hard to get out, but I caught that one. I welcome comments about stuff that doesn't seem to fit in. It can get easy to get carried away on a pet plan that doesn't really serve the story, but in this one instance, I decided to jump out of the plane and hope the parachute deploys.

**catwalking.owl** - your plea is my command...

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Chapter 4 – The Order of the Phoenix

To anyone who had ever known Molly Prewitt Weasley, she would be described as many things: intelligent witch with five NEWTS to her name; first rate baker; promising Ministry worker for the Department of Lost, Misplaced, Misguided, Abandoned, or Orphaned Children before she left for maternity leave and never returned; knitter of warm sweaters, scarves, and socks; former Head Girl of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry; passionate lover (though only one man could attest); first rate gardener; lioness of a mother. Molly Weasley was each of these and more. One thing Molly Weasley was not, to any that knew her, was hesitant, insecure, or unconfident. Not that she ever let anyone see. But as eight red heads tried to make their way inconspicuously through the London streets, Molly Weasley was hiding all of those things inside. She and Arthur had not been members of the original Order of the Phoenix. At the time, Bill had been only eight, Charlie six, Percy two, and herself heavily pregnant with George, with Fred hiding behind him, of course, making his mere presence the first of many surprises conducted in his life. Just trying to keep the Order of the Weasley's was all they could handle at the time, an apologetic Arthur had said to Dumbledore who could only chuckle agreement and nod in understanding.

Were they any better off now, Molly found herself wondering? Three of her children were technically grown, two joining the Order themselves tonight, but what did it matter? They were still her children. She still looked at Bill and remembered him charming candy out of women in stores when he was four with a gap in his front teeth. She could see Charlie tracking mud prints in from the garden to show her a snake or frog that he'd managed to catch. To her mind, they were no less her babies now than then. Were they doing the right thing?

Her eyes watched the numbers of the houses on Grimmauld place slowly decrease, number sixteen, fifteen, fourteen…she could detect the beginnings of shimmer as they approached number twelve as the Fidelis Charm began to fade, each of them having been told the address by Professor Dumbledore that morning. A faded, peeling black door with a silver snake's head knocker materialized before them. Behind it, she knew, waited a convicted murderer and a werewolf. What **were** they doing!?

She turned to look at her husband and found his eyes already on her face. He smiled that calm, gentle smile, the one that never failed to reassure her, even if it didn't remove all her fears, "We're doing the right thing." He never failed to know her mind.

She nodded shortly and raised her hand to rap the knocker. She jumped as she heard a boom resonate throughout the house with each knock and a screeching voice wailed indistinctly. Footsteps rushed to the front door, ripping it open with a hasty "Come in quickly" thrown at them before the footsteps receded in a flurry of dark colored robe. At the end of the hall, Molly could see a pale man struggling to pull curtains across the portrait of a gaunt woman whose mad eyes rolled in her head as she sputtered, "The muggle-loving filth arrives! Blood traitors! Scourge! Get your diseased hands off my frame you animal!"

"Shut up you foul bi…"

"Sirius!"

With an effort, the two men wrenched the curtains over the portrait and the sudden silence was almost as disconcerting as the screaming. Chests heaving, the two men leaned against the wall on either side of the portrait and shared a glance before turning their gazes to the family standing just inside the doorway and looking all the world like they weren't coming a step closer.

"I thought…you were going to put…a sign on the door…to come right in," a hoarse voice mumbled.

"I did," the other glared at the group.

"Um, it was on the frame to your left, Mum," Ginny said meekly.

"Oh," Molly said awkwardly.

"Though it was a bit low," the youngest Weasley added, seeing the dismay on her mother's already tense face.

"I'll move it to the knocker," Sirius said, plowing his way through the crowd.

"And use a Permanent Sticking Charm," Remus coughed, catching his breath, "Sorry," he said, approaching the group, "His manners were poor even before he spent twelve years in Azkaban. I'm Remus Lupin," He held his hand out to the woman. She flinched slightly and dithered about taking his hand long enough that the man beside her took it quickly.

"Arthur Weasley," he said quickly, "Sorry, I think we've all had a fright at the initial greeting."

"Well if someone would look for notes," Sirius grumbled, shutting the door behind him.

"Sirius…" Remus growled a bit too well for Molly's comfort as she took a step back.

"Sirius Black," Sirius held his own hand out to Arthur, "and the greeting was from my dear, sweet Mum. Amazing how much personality they actually capture in a portrait. She was just like that in real life, a bit more reserved about it when I was living here, but I suppose we all lose our marbles a bit in our old age, not that she had many left."

"You lived here?" Ron's face wrinkled in disgust looking about at the cobwebs, peeling wallpapers, and… "Are those house elf heads?!"

"Yes, but there's one missing," Sirius shook his head casually, not noticing the looks of shock on the Weasley's faces.

Feeling that they weren't exactly making the best of first impressions, Remus invited them all into the kitchen. Arthur began introducing each of his children in turn as Molly followed them all reluctantly. Her eyes kept sliding between the gaunt, pale appearance of Sirius Black to the peaky, shabby visage of the werewolf. What were they doing?

Black was handing out butterbeers to the younger members of the family and offering tea or wine to the older ones. She frowned slightly, noting that Fred, George, and Ginny seemed delighted to be speaking with their old professor again. Honestly, what had Dumbledore been thinking, hiring a werewolf to teach children? The three were talking animatedly, each trying to get words in around the other as they described what they'd learned over the past year…

"From a Death Eater in disguise!" Fred whooped, "I mean, if you're doing to learn about the Dark Arts, that's first-hand knowledge!"

Ron looked keen to join the discussion, though she noted that he at least was more reserved. Even Charlie was looking at the man with interest, though she supposed that it was a professional one, working with dragons and other such creatures.

"Tea, Mrs. Weasley?" Black startled her.

"Oh, erm, yes, thank you," she took the mug from him, glancing at it curiously as it seemed to be quality china.

Behind her, the kitchen door eased open and an unfamiliar face stuck its head through, glancing about uncertainly until his eyes found Sirius, "Oh good," the man said, "I didn't think there would be more than one concealed house on the block."

"Elphias," Arthur smiled warmly and Molly relaxed. It seemed her husband knew this man.

"Arthur," Elphias smiled warmly, "So wonderful to see you here…"

Slowly, faces began to appear in the kitchen and it was very rapidly becoming crowded. Many faces were unfamiliar, but there were some she knew, mostly from Hogwart's staff.

"Would you like more tea?" A hoarse voice inquired politely.

"Oh yes, I…" she turned to see the werewolf at her side and started back a few steps, "Oh, no, thank you. I'm quite all right," she turned away quickly to find Arthur. Instead she found Ginny glaring at her disapprovingly.

Remus sighed lightly, watching Molly Weasley retreat. He'd held out slight hope that things might be different this time around; that years of loyalty and even holding a teaching position at Hogwarts might make people see him as something besides a dark creature, but he should have known better. He didn't know why he built his hopes up only to be disappointed every time, but the other path led to becoming a bitter old man. So he did what he always did, shoved the hurt firmly to the back; he rather fancied it accumulated under his right shoulder blade which he noticed over the years was more and more prone to being his chief location of constant discomfort.

"Want me to hex her for you?" Sirius appeared beside him, sipping a firewhiskey.

"No. People are the accumulation of their knowledge and experience. She's reacting off of what she's read, which we both know is largely rubbish, and what she's heard, which are half-truths and the worst of my kind…"

"Stop saying they're your kind!"

"Give her a chance to get to know me." There was that damn hope again.

"Ron seems a little hesitant too. I'd have figured Harry for better judge of character in his friends," Sirius glowered.

"The last time Ron saw me, I was snarling and drooling."

"He withheld chocolate from you?" Sirius asked.

Remus narrowed his eyes, "You know very well when it was."

Also, my apologies for the ending always being abrupt. Often I'm breaking up chapters and they're not intended to be a breaking point.


	9. The Order of the Phoenix Part 2

**Author's Note - **Well, I had hoped to get this posted earlier in the week and maybe have another post for you, but things never tend to work out like we wish, do they? I've had my first break this week, which was a good one. A friend and I went up to NYC and just on the off chance, stopped by the Broadhurst theater and actually got tickets to see Equus. Couldn't believe the luck. Daniel and Richard Griffith's performances were absolutely amazing. I highly recommend seeing it if you can. We were in nosebleed and could still see wonderfully. There are no bad seats and we paid about 60 at the box office, so not too bad at all. Parents, I do however recommend that you check out the play before taking your child. I had seen Equus as an undergrad production in college and either I didn't properly remember the play or they edited it since it was a college production in the US Biblebelt. I'd have had to be living in an icecap not to know that it had some nudity, but the themes of the play are not for kids either. I'd say if it were a movie, definately R, maybe higher, so use your head. There were some kids going in with their parents that I thought were too young, but I'm not a parent, so I just recommend you preview it.

You will no longer have to wade through my replies to reviews as I've been shown how to respond directly. My thanks for your wading through them thus far. Also, anonymous reviewers should now be able to review if they wish.

The end of this is admittedly awkward, but I wouldn't get it right no matter how I worked at it, so I finally conceded defeat and am posting as it. Ok, enough of that, on with story...

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Chapter 4 - The Order of the Phoenix (Part 2)

The door to the kitchen thumped again and even through the crowd, the two Marauders could spot bright pink enter the room.

"Is someone wearing a puffskein hat?" Sirius quirked an eyebrow.

The crowd parted and Sirius's question was answered as a young woman with a heart-shaped face and spiked pink hair made her way directly towards them, a queer grin on her face.

"Wotcher, cousin Sirius."

"Who are you?" Sirius asked, tilting his head.

"I'm crushed," she crossed her arms over her purple Weird Sister's t-shirt before scrunching her face. Her hair suddenly turned blue and curly.

"Nymphadora!" Sirius gasped, "I don't believe it!" He held his arms wide and swooped the young woman into a bear hug.

"Mum always said she couldn't believe you'd done what they said," her voice was muffled against Sirius's shoulder, "I remember how furious she was when you didn't get a trial."

"Well, that's in the past I suppose. How is your mum?" He asked, stepping back to look at his baby cousin.

"Oh, same as ever. She has her club, her painting, and Dad, so she's happy," the woman smiled fondly before glancing curiously at Remus.

"Oh, sorry," Sirius shook his head, "I just can't believe it's you. You were just a kid the last time I saw you. Remus, this is my cousin Andromeda's daughter Nymphadora Tonks…it is still Tonks?" he asked, scanning her finger for a ring.

"It's only Tonks," the woman shuddered, her hair turning green, "What possessed my bloody mother to name me Nymphadora is beyond me."

"I think it's a beautiful name," Remus smiled.

"Call me by it and I'll hex you," she glared, "I go by Tonks, thanks." She said, holding her hand out.

"Remus Lupin," Remus shook her hand.

"Remus Lupin," she repeated slowly, still shaking his hand, "Where have I heard…"

"I probably mentioned him to you when you were little," Sirius said quickly, "Him and James Potter. We were all best mates at school."

"Yes, the infamous Marauder's," a voice slipped coolly up from behind Lupin.

"Snape," Sirius acknowledged the Potion's Master flatly.

"Black," he returned, "and Lupin," he glanced at the both of them distastefully.

"Severus," Remus nodded politely, "Good to see you here."

"I'm sure you know the feeling is not mutual. And Miss Tonks," his gaze slipped to the young woman, "I heard you became an auror."

"That's right, er, Professor," she said, shifting from foot to foot.

"They must have lowered the standards seeing as you were never able to manage to put one foot in front of the other without inspecting the floor or keep a single emotion from changing your hair ridiculous colors," he sneered.

Nymphadora's hair flashed to red

"Really, Severus, that's uncalled for," Remus rebuked when Tonks's sputtering failed to become fully formed words.

"Haven't they passed legislation yet to keep your kind from being in decent company?" Snape barely spared him a glance before pushing through further into the kitchen, "Lovely home, Black, I'm particularly fond of the serpant fixtures," he parted over his shoulder.

"What's that entrail expelling hex again, Moony?" Sirius growled.

"What is his problem!?" Tonks finally managed indignantly.

Remus sighed, pushing his bangs out of his eyes "Severus is Severus. He's a valuable member of the Order, but his personality could use a makeover."

"What's he got against you two?"

"He was in the same year as us at school," Sirius said, "Wormy little weirdo with greasy hair and dark arts streaming out of his nose."

"Translation, Sirius, James, and Severus had a loathing for each other at first sight," Remus said, sipping his tea. "James hated anything to do with the Dark Arts and Severus probably knew more dark magic than many in the student body."

"And the git was bloody proud of being a Slytherin," Sirius grumbled.

"Hence Sirius's dislike," Remus said aside, "And then when the two of them doused him with lavender powder in our first potions class, well it all went downhill from there."

"But you must admit he smelled better." Sirius said. Remus merely inclined his head.

"So what's he got against you?" Tonks asked.

"A far more reasonable issue seeing as I almost bit him…twice," Remus said, taking a sip of his tea and watching Tonks's face.

She appeared puzzled for a moment before her eyes widened, "Remus Lupin! You're the werewolf Dumbledore hired to teach Defense last year."

"Guilty, I'm afraid," Remus said, extending his hand to her.

Tonks stared at it a moment before taking it, shaking it oddly, turning it this way and that, examining it before leaning forward and staring intently at his face.

"Jeez, Tonks, do you need a magnifying glass?" Sirius snickered.

Tonks immediately flushed and dropped Remus's hand, "Sorry, I've just never met a werewolf before."

"You never know. You might have. No pentagram," he said flatly, showing her his palm, "No sharpened canines or pointed ears…"

"Definitely no heightened sexual aggressiveness," Sirius snorted.

Remus glared at him, "The only way to tell a werewolf from a human is seeing them transform or noticing that they're sick around the full moon."

Tonks flushed, "I didn't mean to be rude," she said. "They teach werewolves in Academy, of course, but given what you've just said, it seems they haven't taught me properly."

"And what Academy would that be?" Sirius asked.

"Auror Academy. Professor Snape was right about that," Tonks smiled proudly, "Junior of course, not long out of training, but fully qualified."

"Andromeda and Ted must be proud." Sirius smiled.

"I hope they are," Tonks began, but they were distracted by a sudden quietness in the room as Dumbledore entered.

The elder wizard looked around for a moment, smiling, "I see that everyone has arrived. If we could all take our seats, there is much to go over. Sirius," his twinkling blue eyes found him in the crowd, "if you could show Masters Weasley and Miss Weasley to a place where they can wait comfortably?"

Sirius herded the younger redheads out to a loud chorus of "That's not fair!" and "But I want to stay!" as the rest of the members took their seat. When Sirius returned, he took a seat beside Remus near the head of the table to Dumbledore's right.

"Well, first, I must welcome you all to the Order of the Phoenix. Some of you are here for the first time. The rest of you return after many years. I can say that it is wonderful to see all of your faces, though I very much regret the circumstances. To get right to the heart of the matter, we gather here today because Lord Voldemort has returned." Dumbledore paused a moment as most of the witches and wizards shuddered, "I am sure that all of you have either read or heard of the events of the final task of the Triwizard tournament, but as there have been many versions circulating, I ask for your patience as I tell you the true version.

"Harry Potter and Cedric Diggory took hold of the Triward Cup at the same moment to claim a united victory for Hogwarts. The cup had been turned into a portkey by a dark wizard that infiltrated Hogwarts by means of polyjuice potion disguised as the auror Alastor Moody."

At the end of the table, a much thinner and paler Moody grunted.

"They were taken to a graveyard in Little Hangleton. Cedric Diggory was killed immediately by Peter Pettigrew."

Remus and Sirius both shifted, their faces grim.

"Mr. Potter was then witness to the rebirth of Lord Voldemort by means of such ancient magic that I speculate that it took him many years to discover how to accomplish it properly."

"Are you certain the boy can be believed?" Moody grunted.

"Are you calling my godson a liar?" Sirius growled.

"Well he is much like his father," Snape sneered.

"Enough," Dumbledore put his hand up, stalling Sirius's retort, but not wiping the murderous glare from his face, "Mr. Potter has never lied to me. There have been times when he has chosen not to confide in me, but that does not make me doubt his story." He paused a moment, meeting each pair of eyes in turn before continuing, "Our purpose here is direct, but by no means simple. We are here to fight Lord Voldemort and to bring about his permanent downfall."

"But how is that possible." Molly Weasley spoke, "If he couldn't be killed before, how can we hope to ever defeat him."

"There is a way to defeat him. I have my beliefs on how he managed to survive, but I am not ready to discuss that until I have more information. For tonight, I wish to discuss two ongoing tasks that we will all need to undertake. First, there is the security of Mr. Potter. While measures have been taken to insure he is safe while staying with his relatives, Mr. Potter has shown himself capable of being persuaded to do things out of bounds if he feels that it is for the greater good."

"Meaning he breaks the rules as he sees fit," Snape growled.

"No, Severus, what I mean is that if he believes that he is helping, he will go to any means or lengths to try. Therefore, I ask that we all take turns keeping watch over the Dursley house to see that he remains there and that nothing suspicious occurs."

There were murmurs of agreement, and so Dumbledore continued, "The second task is to safeguard something that if it were to fall into Voldemort's hands could mean his permanent victory. Many years ago, a prophecy was made on how Lord Voldemort could be defeated. He would give anything, do anything, to hear this prophecy. Therefore we must see to it that he doesn't. The recording is in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic."

"But, why not just tell the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," one member asked, "They could see it moved to a secure location."

"I fear that there are few within the Ministry that would believe that it is necessary and even fewer that we could trust to accomplish the task." Dumbledore said sadly. "Those of you that work at the Ministry are going to find your lives becoming increasingly more difficult. Cornelius refuses to accept the truth and is beginning a campaign to see to it that the public believes nothing that either I or Harry says. Anyone seen to side with us will find themselves at risk. I ask you all to consider this carefully. If any of you feel that you cannot continue as members of the Order, come to me. Are there any questions?" Looks were exchanged, but no one spoke.

"Very well then, before assignments for duties are made, it is essential that everyone here is able to conjure a patronus. They will be our primary means of communication. Who here is able to cast a corporeal patronus?"

There was a hand from every member of the old Order, and not a single one from the new members.

"Very well then. We are very fortunate to have among our ranks one who has accomplished the unheard of task of teaching a thirteen year old to cast a full patronus. Therefore, I have complete faith that each of your will accomplish it much quicker under his tutelage. Remus Lupin is a Master of Defense Against the Dark Arts, apprenticed under the formidable Master Gyan Varen."

"Gyan Varen hasn't taken apprentices in fifty years," Kingsley Shacklebolt frowned.

"He has taken one," Albus corrected him. "Remus will be in charge of training. For those of you who need to learn the Patronus Charm, meet…" he looked at Remus questioning.

"Tomorrow night at nine in the dining room." Remus said quietly, staring at his hands.

"Nine in the dining room," Albus nodded, "All of you here are also aware of Sirius Black's innocence." All eyes now turned to the chair beside Remus, "Kingsley is in charge of the Ministry search for you, Sirius. If you could be so kind, Kingsley, as to get in a credible tip as to Sirius's whereabouts very far from London?"

"It should not be a problem," Kingsley nodded.

"Excellent," Albus smiled, "Sirius is in charge of headquarters. If there is something you need, see him. This is also his childhood home that he has graciously offered for our use. I trust everyone will respect the property, but as it has been unused for quite some time, I know that Sirius and Remus both would appreciate any help that any of you could give to make the space more comfortable. There may come a time when many of us are keeping quarters here and it would be nice if the house were a bit less…"

"Morbid," Sirius grumbled. The group laughed nervously, glancing about.

"Well, dusty was the word I was going to use, but as you wish." He smiled, "And finally one other member of the Order already has an assigned task, Master of Potions and Hogwarts Professor Severus Snape functioned as a spy for the Order during the first war. He has been able to assume this task once more. It is a dangerous duty and one that no one else has been able to accomplish. No one is to interfere with Severus." He paused, meeting each set of eyes at the table, "Severus is always operating with my approval and therefore anything that he does should be seen as sanctioned by me personally."

Albus smiled again, "Very well, if there is nothing else, this meeting is closed. I would invite you to get to know each other. Feel free to drop by any time, I should assume, Sirius?"

"Just don't use the bloody knocker." He sighed.

"Ah yes," Dumbledore glanced at the door, "you owled me about the portrait of Madame Black. Neither of you has had success in removing it?"

At the shakes of Remus and Sirius's heads, the old wizard stood, moving out into the corridor. He stood in front of the curtained portrait, pulling the black cloth aside.

"Get your filthy muggle-loving hands off my frame!" The portrait spat.

"Ah, Madame Black, how do you do?" Dumbledore inclined his head to her.

"Don't give me that self-righteous tone," Mrs. Black crossed her arms, "If it wasn't for you, my eldest might have turned out properly."

Dumbledore turned his head to look at the man in question, "I think your son was turned out quite admirably."

"Blood treacherous shame…"

"Madame Black," Dumbledore interjected before she got warmed up, "Might I inquire how we can move your frame to a more suitable location."

"Hmph, my frame can only be moved by a pure-blood who wishes to honor the portrait," her eyes swept across the gathering doubtfully.

"Well," Sirius sighed, "we're f…" Remus swiftly covered his friend's mouth.

"Ah well," Dumbledore shrugged, letting the covering fall back over the portrait, "I suppose we can just look upon her as a very unique warning system. Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. We will meet again in one week's time for those who will not being coming tomorrow night."

The crowd dispersed, with most of them headed immediately for the door. Remus smiled, seeing Sirius talking animatedly with his cousin, whose wild gestures threatened to knock a few passersby into unconsciousness.

"Headmaster," Molly Weasley approached Dumbledore.

"Molly, it is high time that you called me Albus," Dumbledore smiled warmly.

"Well, that will take some getting used to. Arthur and I were talking and we'd like to volunteer to help get headquarters cleaned up."

"I had a feeling that you might," Dumbledore grinned, "Both Sirius and Remus have said that they will be glad to have your help."

"Oh, they're both staying here, are they?" Molly said awkwardly.

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded, "I'm sure they can have some rooms ready for your family," he looked towards Remus who was standing aside.

Remus nodded, "Shouldn't be a problem. How many rooms?" He asked politely.

"One or two at first will be fine," Arthur said, "We don't want to be a bother."

"No bother at all," Remus waved him off, "One for you and Mrs. Weasley, one for Fred and George, one for Ginny, and one for Ron and Harry when he comes," Remus looked at Dumdledore hopefully.

"Yes, when can Harry come?" Sirius came up from behind Remus, having overheard the last of the conversation.

"I couldn't say," Dumbledore said, "The longer we can keep him on Privet Drive, the better off he'll be."

"He belongs here," Sirius grumbled, "He's miserable at his aunt and uncle's."

"I am aware that he is unhappy there, but he is safe and that is what is important."

"To you, maybe," Sirius growled.

"We will discuss this at a later time," Dumbledore said definitively before turning back to the Weasley's, "I have however, received an owl from Hermione Granger expressing her wish to be of assistance. I was thinking that she might join us here to assist with the cleaning."

Molly nodded, "She's a lovely girl and she would be good help. It would be nice company for Ginny as well."

"Very well then, I shall have her meet you all here tomorrow." Dumbledore smiled, "Remus, Sirius, we shall leave you in peace for a bit longer."

Dumbledore and the Weasley's said their goodbyes, leaving the two men in a silent house.


	10. Nightmares Part 1

**Author's Note** - Sorry for both the shortish post, the mean cliffie, and for likely weak writing. I just couldn't get this not to sound awkward. I blame med school brain liquification. But, as I had the time to write, I wanted to take advantage of it. A few small things...

It has been suggested I get a beta. I had thought that I was doing a fairly decent job of editing, but it has been intimated that I haven't. If I continue to get complaints about grammar, I'm willing to give it a try, but I'm not thrilled about it. If there's only one or two typos in a posting, I ask that you grit your teeth at my ineptitude in catching it. If there's obvious issues, please feel free to go ahead and point them out. I don't want people not reading because mistakes are detracting from their enjoyment of the story.

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Chapter 5 – Nightmares

The one room in Grimmauld Place that had remained untouched by the rest of the Black family had been Sirius's old bedroom. Having never been to the Black house before, Remus had smiled to see that it reflected Sirius's choice of decoration their latter years at Hogwarts: Gryffindor colors and banners, motorcycles, and muggle posters of scantily clad women. Having had no time to clean out another bedroom as well as get the kitchen ready, the two men had simply drug another bed from one of the many guest rooms into Sirius's room. It was from this bed that Remus woke from his usual light sleep to muffled cries.

He glanced quickly about the room, his eyes easily piercing the darkness to see Sirius shifting distressed under the covers. With a frown, he climbed out of bed, stepping around furniture to the side of the massive bed. Sweat beaded on the man's pale brow, his face contorting in grimaces, as small cries of distress were quickly clamped off as if some instinctual part of him were trying to keep quiet.

"Sirius," he whispered softly. Sirius winced and, if anything, become more distressed. "Sirius," Remus said louder, reaching out and shaking the man's shoulder, "Sirius!"

Sirius bolted up, wild-eyed and flailing, before recognizing where he was. He took a few shuddering breaths before lying back on his pillow.

"Nightmare?" Remus asked quietly.

Sirius nodded.

"They happen often?"

"Not so much anymore," Sirius said, slightly breathless. "When I first broke out, I barely slept, but they don't happen so much anymore." He pulled himself up slightly in bed. "Sorry I woke you."

"Please," Remus smiled, "As often as I woke you guys up at school with my nightmares, I figure I owe you at least a few years of night's sleep."

_Sirius opened his eyes blearily. The normal night time sounds of Hogwarts, owls hunting in the night, wind whistling by the tower, Peter's snoring, were interrupted by thrashing. Peering through the darkness, he could just make out Remus's covers shifting in the light of the half-moon. Not that he really needed to see to confirm. With a grunt, Sirius pushed back his bedcovers and stretched. Behind him in the next bed, he could hear James getting out from bed as well and begin to stumble across the room._

"_Ow!" He hissed._

"_You know, you'd think you'd remember where your trunk is," Sirius smirked, putting his own feet on the floor._

"_You'd think I'd remember you move it at random because my bruised toes amuse you." James growled back._

_Both boys made their way to opposite sides of the bed, a well practiced routine over the past three years._

"_Moony, mate, wake up," James said softly, tapping his shoulder_

"_C'mon, Remus, wakey wakey," Sirius mussed his hair._

_Remus shook awake, eyes darting back and forth until he focused on the other boys._

"_Sorry mates," he whispered, wiping sweat from his forehead._

"_No problem," James shrugged, pulling a fresh nightshirt from Remus's nightstand and offering it to him. Remus crawled out of his old, sweat-sodden shirt and put on a fresh one. They had long since stopped asking him what his nightmares were about. He would never say._

"_So," Sirius said, producing a deck of muggle cards, "five card draw or seven card stud," he asked as he shuffled them expertly._

"_Stud of course," James smirked, mussing his hair._

"_Why thank you Prongs," Sirius bowed mockingly as he sat on the side of Remus's bed. Remus crossed his legs akimbo and leaned against his headboard as James settled on the other side._

"_Seven card," Remus nodded and reached for the cards, "but I'm dealing. You cheat." None of the boys noticed that Peter was no longer snoring as they played until Remus fell back asleep._

"We never minded," Sirius smiled, "How else was I supposed to get good at muggle card games. You were the only one that knew how to play."

"Got a deck?"

Sirius glanced at him, then grinned, "I used to keep a pack in my drawer," he said, reaching towards his night table, "and voila," he came up triumphant with an old red bicycle deck. "Stud or draw?"

Remus chuckled, each getting comfortable on the bed as Sirius shuffled the deck.

"You wanna talk about it?" Remus asked as he took the cards he was dealt and organized them in his hand.

"You never did," Sirius said, glancing over his hand.

"Two," Remus put down his cards and accepted two from the deck as Sirius handed them to him.

Sirius drew three, then threw down his hand, "Nada, fold."

"Pair," Remus put down his pair of eights before picking up the deck and reshuffling himself. He shuffled a bit longer than usual before dealing slowly, "I used to dream that I'd transformed in the school and was killing everyone," he said quietly.

"Why didn't you want to tell us?" Sirius asked softly.

"I was afraid you'd realize that I really was a monster," he replied.

"Moony, we found out you're a werewolf in second year. You had those nightmares all during school." Sirius picked his hand up.

"I guess I always felt that you guys didn't really understand what could happen. Telling you I was dreaming about transforming in the dorm and eating you all slowly bit by bit might have made it sink in a bit further." Remus mumbled.

Sirius snorted, "Moony, did you think we were three years old? You only transform on the full moon. If somehow, Dumbledore became senile, McGonagall was away in Liberia, and Madam Pomfrey decided to take nightly disco lessons, we'd have made sure you got to the Shrieking Shack ourselves, though I doubt we'd need to because in the event of all of those happening at once, like as not you'd lock yourself in there."

Remus shrugged, "I never really understood why you guys wanted to be around me what with the furry little problem and my sunshiny personality."

Sirius grinned, "We needed someone to make sure we passed our classes." He ducked as Remus shuffled the deck at his head. "You never give yourself enough credit," he shook his head as Remus swept the cards up with his wand. "The Marauders wouldn't have been the Marauders without each of us."

Remus redealt the hand, "So you wanna talk about that dream."

Sirius was silent and took up his hand, throwing down one for a new card. Remus began to think he should change the subject when Sirius began to speak, "It was about the night James and Lily died."


	11. Nightmares Part 2

**Author's Note - Little to say this time. I consciously neglected studying to get this out. Shame on me. Enjoy!**

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Chapter 5 - Nightmares (Part 2)

_Sirius sighed as he put down the thick book he'd been attempting to read, not bothering to mark his place. James owed him big time for this. He was bored out of his skull. No one had checked in on him in days, not since Frank and Alice had brought him a supply of food to last him for a week. He'd already gone through most of it, mostly because there was nothing else to do. He frowned at the cover of the thick book again, remembering how Moony would spend hours with his nose stuck between pages. The thought of his former friend merely turned his mood fouler, however. After all they had done for him, he'd turned traitor. Growling, Sirius kicked the book off the side of the bed and jumped up, pacing the small room. Everyone thought he was the secret keeper, so to keep up pretenses, he'd been sequestered away and he was about to go crazy. Sirius had always been a man of action and he wanted to be in the thick of it, not sitting here watching the hands of the clock on the wall tick slowly by. He glanced at the offender in question and frowned when he realized that the hands had not moved before he remembered that he'd frozen the clock because the ticking had been driving him mad. Sirius growled. EVERYTHING was driving him mad. He wanted out of this house!_

_And now he didn't know what time it was, but it was as good an excuse to check in with James as any. Reaching into a bureau drawer, Sirius pulled out a small pocket mirror and spoke into it, "James," he said softly._

_He waited a moment, stretching on his stomach on the bed, knowing it sometimes took a moment for James to answer, but he waited and waited._

"_James," He repeated, "Prongs mate, it's me. Pick up, I'm bored and it's your fault. You need to pick up and entertain me."_

_But James didn't pick up. Anxious now, Sirius began pacing the room again, stopping intermittently to call into the mirror. Sometimes it took James a minute to answer, but never more than that. Never more than a minute. "James."_

_But James didn't answer. Something was wrong. Hide out be damned, if Voldemort was somehow interfering with their connection to lure him out of hiding, then so be it. After all, he wasn't the secret keeper. James, Lily, and Harry would still be safe. Peter would keep them safe. He tore his black biker jacket off the hook by the door, grabbed his motorcycle keys from the side table, and stepped out into the night._

_He could see the smoke from far above. Even worse, he could see the wreckage of the house. He barely managed to land, not even bothering to toe the kick stand as his insides screamed at the rubble in front of him._

_A large shadow stood in front of the house and in its arms was Harry._

"_Hagrid," he choked, pale and shaking, and he stumbled forward._

"_Now, now," Hagrid said soothingly. "There were no pain. They died quick protecting their son. It's how they'd have wanted."_

_Sirius's eyes fell on the baby, seeing an angry red lightning cut on his forehead, "But how…"_

"_I dunno," Hagrid said, sniffing, "Dumbledore just told me that James and Lily had been killed and Voldemort was gone and to come get Harry."_

"_Give Harry to me, Hagrid. I'm his godfather. I'll look after him." Sirius held out his arms, ready to take the boy._

"'_Fraid I can't do that," Hagrid said, soft but firm, "Dumbledore says I'm to bring him to him at his aunt and uncle's house."_

"_But I'm his godfather," Sirius argued, "James wanted me to raise him. Everyone knows that."_

"_I know, lad, but you'll have to take it up with Dumbledore," he said._

"_Can I…can I see him then?" Sirius took the boy into his arms as Hagrid handed him down. Brilliant green peered out from beneath baby lashes as the child studied his face._

"_Pad," he gurgled, reaching up to grab Sirius's nose._

_Sirius's arms began to shake as he choked back a sob._

"_I should get him to Dumbledore," Hagrid said apologetically as he took Harry back into his massive arms._

"_Here, then." He offered his keys, "Take the motorcycle. I won't need it any more. Get Harry to Dumbledore."_

"_Yer a good man, Sirius Black," Hagrid sniffled, "Wouldn't have wanted to risk trying to apparate with him. Barely manage myself half the time."_

_Sirius watched as Hagrid kick started the bike and slowly rose into the air, taking Harry away. His eyes then came down to the wreckage of the house._

"_No," he whispered, tears running down his cheeks. He stumbled through the broken gate, wading through debris. His hands tore through wood and nails. Using Peter was his idea. Everyone knew that James was his best friend, that James trusted no one like he trusted Sirius. Voldemort would be after him. How could Voldemort know it was Peter? Little Peter who'd probably only manage minutes under torture and then died with the breath that followed revealing "Godric's Hollow." With each thought, he threw more litter away, not even noticing the rips and gashes in his hands from twisted nails and broken glass. His breath, formerly coming in gasps stopped when his eyes fell upon a hand. His fingers stretched tentatively to the hand he knew well…the hand that had always helped him up, reached out to him, pat him on the shoulder, and smacked the back of his head. It was cold._

"_No, James," he choked, slowly pulling debris away until he could see his friend's face. His glasses were broken, hazel eyes staring blankly up at the stars, seeing nothing, "No…no," Sirius put his own hand to his friend's cheek. There didn't seem to be a mark on him. He looked one last time upon his brother's face, leaning forward, "I promise to take care of Harry, Marauder's honor," his voice trembled and he placed a kiss on James's forehead. He'd have stayed there forever, by his friend's side, but for one thing._

"_I…I had to do it," a quivering voice said from the street. Sirius's head whipped around to see Peter, hunched and trembling._

_Scenes began to rush through his head. Peter always missing after meetings, but who ever missed Peter? Peter asking fearfully if he really thought they could ever win and his look of terror when he'd said that it was enough to die fighting for what was right. Peter whispering to him that Remus was scaring him._

_Sirius closed his eyes painfully, more tears spilling down his face. Remus. Loyal, kind, brave Remus who they'd driven away…who they'd betrayed just as surely as Peter had betrayed them. The more he thought about it, the more it became certain. No one would ever suspect Peter was secret keeper because he was a follower, not a leader. He was a follower who'd followed the strongest leader in sight…Voldemort._

"_Peter," he snarled, drawing his wand._

"_N.n.n.no!" Peter sniveled, "You don't understand. Y.y.y.you guys never understood!" He sobbed as he backed away. Slowly, doors began to open and sleepy faces looked curiously into the streets. Peter backed slowly to the alley by the next house._

_Sirius didn't say a word as his tear streaked grey eyes gleamed fiercely over his wand tip. Peter turned to run, but stopped short seeing he was cornered in the alley. In the opening behind Sirius, curious faces peered around the corner._

_A light entered Peter's eyes, "Lily and James, Sirius! How could you!" He cried, his voice anguished._

_It was the moment of confusion that cost Sirius Black twelve years of his life as Peter severed a finger and cast a Combustion charm. The last Sirius Black saw of Peter Pettigrew was a tail disappearing down a drain pipe…a wormtail._

_Sirius dropped to his knees in the carnage of brick and body. Pops of apparating wizards sounded all around him, and all Sirius Black could do was laugh._

Remus wiped the tears from his face with a sleeve as the two sat in silence.

"I wish I could have been there," he finally said, "Maybe if I had, we could have proved it together."

"Maybe," Sirius said flatly, "but James and I betrayed you as surely as Peter betrayed us all."

"We've already covered that," Remus rebuked, "I made you distrust me."

"We should have known better," Sirius persisted. "We should have known there was something behind it."

"Those were different times," Remus said.

"And now they're happening again," Sirius sighed.

"We've time to prepare this time," Remus argued, "thanks to Harry, we know what's happening."

"I suppose," Sirius said. Remus settled beside him, both leaning back against the massive oak headboard, "but this time, we stick together," he said, holding a hand out, "Marauders."

Remus took his hand, "Marauders."


	12. The Apprentice Part 1

**Author's Note** **- I realized after my last post that the replies to reviews I'd gotten for chapters nine or so on were not received. I have attempted to properly reply to everyone, but if you have not received a reply from a review you gave, drop me a PM or email (it's released now) so that I can. I firmly believe that if you take the time to review you deserve a personal reply because reviews, while not expected, are greatly greatly appreciated. Fuel for the weary author soul you might say.**

**To those anonymous or nonregistered reviews, thanks so much. **

**SiriusHarryPotter - I can't speak for how it is in the UK, but in the US, the child of a cousin is your second cousin, so Tonks would be Sirius's second cousin. If its different in the UK, someone let me know. I'd like that to be correct. I'm so glad you're enjoying the story and I hope you keep reading.**

**Umbra Occultus Unus Affectu... - lol, glad that everyone tiptoeing around Remus didn't ring false. We know it gets better. Gyan Varen is my own creation and ironically, you'll read a bit more about him here.**

**Gulogirl - Upon looking it up, puffskeins are not, in fact, pink, but cream colored. It is indeed the pygmy puffs that come in various colors, so shall we say that, like mink skin coats or rabbits feet, puffskein hats are commonly dyed to their owners taste (::shrug:: sounds good).**

**reader13 - Glad you like how I'm doing Tonks so far. She's going to come to feature more and more, so I hope I do her justice.**

**As I said, if I missed someone, drop me a line. I swear I'll get to the Patronus lessons. I really thought the next chapter would be that, but then my imagination did its own thing. On with the show...**

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Chapter 6 – The Apprentice

Neither Marauder slept for the rest of the night, but after Remus owed Sirius seven Honeydukes bars, three boxes of Every Flavor Beans, and two blood lollies ("Why ever would you want a blood lolly Padfoot?") they gave up their poker game and decided to finish the last of Tinkie's basket and get a start on cleaning the dining room and the Weasley's rooms.

Sirius coughed at the cloud of dust that was steadily accumulating as they cleared out the third bedroom.

"You get the feeling," Sirius coughed, "that we're just shuffling this stuff from one place to the other," he waved his hand in front of his face, surveying the pile of rubbish in front of him.

"Yes," Remus sighed, "but I think the pile gets smaller with each shuffle."

"What is the filthy blood traitor and his werewolf doing, Kreacher wonders?" A scratching voice made both wizards start into the air, drawing wands. Behind them in the doorway stood a bony house elf wearing a sparse loincloth, glaring at the both of them.

"Kreacher?" Sirius said incredulously.

"Mistress's shame speaks to Kreacher," he grumbled. "Kreacher thought he was in Azkaban prison."

"Just where have you been hiding?" Sirius demanded.

"Kreacher has been in Mistress's bedroom," the house elf said defiantly, "Kreacher serves his Mistress faithfully."

"Bloody hell, little wonder he hasn't put his own head on the wall," Sirius grumbled. "If Kreacher serves his Mistress so faithfully why is the house a wreck?"

"Kreacher takes care of the important things as Mistress asks," he spat back.

"Well you're doing as I ask now. Take this lot down and throw it in the rubbish chute," Sirius ordered.

The little elf glared up at him.

"I might have been blasted off that infernal tapestry, but I'm still a Black and you're still bound to obey me, now get to it!"

With exaggerated slowness, the elf gathered up just a few pieces from the pile and padded out of the room.

"Can't believe the little bastard's still alive." Sirius shook his head as he went back to cleaning.

"So the Black family keeps the genealogy of their house elves too?" Remus quipped.

Sirius snorted, "Well, not exactly, but every house elf we've had has been a descendant of the last, so in a way."

"So your mum and dad didn't get a chance to see another little Kreacher come about?"

"Ugh, Moony mate, you're given me horrible mental pictures here," Sirius grimaced, scrubbing at his eyes.

Remus snickered as he gathered up moth-eaten curtains and added them to the pile.

"So tell me something," Sirius began, "What's this apprenticeship Dumbledore mentioned last night?"

Remus shrugged, "I got my Masters in Defense."

"Thank you. I did gather that much." Sirius groused, "That Shacklebolt fellow seemed surprised."

"Gyan hadn't taken an apprentice in forty-two years when he took me on, and I didn't exactly advertise about it when I was finished," Remus replied.

"Well, he must have been impressed with you to take you on after being in retirement," Sirius said.

Remus snorted, "Not exactly."

Sirius threw down the stack of moldy books he was carrying, "You are worse than talking to Sadie McCullen in forth year. I thought the girl was monosyllabic. How did you get taken on? What was it like?"

"You could have just asked," Remus smirked. Before Sirius could retort, he continued, "It's not exactly glamorous or impressive. In fact, I think if he'd had his way about it, he wouldn't have apprenticed me at all."

_Remus blew his breath between the palms of his gloved hands. The knitting had worn thin in the palms and small holes were ever expanding at the knuckles and finger tips. He approached the group cautiously, having learned by now that he would either be immediately accepted or rebuffed. He quietly wedged himself between two men around the fire in the iron barrel. They glanced up at him shortly, then turned back to warming their own bodies, and Remus sighed with relief as he too held up his palms to the warmth provided. A wicked wind had shipped through the streets of Edinburgh for days. Remus was frozen and tired and while his own conjured fires could keep him warm, there was something about shoulders by his side, even strange ones, that helped bolster his spirits._

"_Say, that's a funny mist," one of the men said, squinting across the vacant lot._

_Remus glanced up and caught his breath._

"_Aye, looks like some kind of bird."_

"_There's your imagination running away with you again Paddy," one of the men guffawed, "Been that long?"_

"_Not that kind of bird," the man grumbled. The group watched as the bird-shaped mist slowly drifted across the lot and out of sight. "Oy, where'd the new lad go?"_

_Remus disapparated around the corner and turned to meet the Pheonix patronus, "Remus," Dumbledore's voice spoke, "could you meet me in Hogsmeade by the post at the end of the lane?" The phoenix apparition slowly dissolved._

_Remus stood in place for several moments. He'd not been in contact with wizards for two years, since he had lost everything. Then he glanced down at the state of himself. His trousers had been patched repeatedly at the knees. The right patch was hanging loose at the corner and the bottoms of his pants were frayed. Both shoes had holes in the sides. His shirt and jacket were both frayed and ripped. His hair had grown just past his ears under his knit cap and five days growth of beard was on his face in attempt to keep him warm. In short, he looked like a vagrant. He snorted. He supposed he was a vagrant. As tempted as he was, one didn't turn down a request from Albus Dumbledore. Shooting his own patronus back in agreement, he then turned on the spot and apparated into Hogsmeade._

_Remus blinked a few times, reorienting himself as he gazed down the main street of Hogsmeade seeing the familiar shops where he and the Marauders had wreaked havoc what seemed like a lifetime ago. It startled him to think that some of students still safely ensconced inside the castle walls had been in their early years when James, Sirius, Peter, and he had been in their last. His eyes shifted to stare at the outline of the school past the town. His heart ached, remembering the best time of his life. His lips seemed to move of his own accord…_

"_I solemnly swear…"_

"_Ah, Remus," Dumbledore disapparated with a pop in front of him, "So wonderful to see you again."_

"_Professor," Remus nodded, stopping to clear his throat which was froggy as much from disuse as the cold, "I'm pleased to see you too, though a bit surprised."_

"_Well, it has been too long, and I do have a bit of information that I think you may find interesting. Can I interest you in a hot tea at the Three Broomsticks? It's been dreadfully cold this winter. My treat."_

_Remus had an idea that he knew better than Dumbledore how cold it had been and at the same time, rather thought Dumdledore knew this as well._

"_I'd like that," he nodded. The two wizards walked up the main street, the wind howling too fiercely to speak. _

"_Perhaps," Dumbledore finally spoke as he closed the door to the Three Broomsticks behind him, "I should have asked you to meet me at the station instead. It would have been closer."_

"_It's quite all right," Remus replied, unwrapping his scarf from around his neck, "I haven't been to Hogsmeade since I left school."_

_The two wizards settled at a table by the window, the fire glowing nearby and Remus could feel himself getting sleepy._

"_Professor Dumbledore, what can I get you and…Remus Lupin?" Rosmerta gasped, looking at the face of the other wizard._

"_Hello Rosmerta," Remus said softly, his beard hiding the flush of his face, "You're, uh, still working here are you?"_

"_Yeah, um, I decided to stay on after all." She continued to stare at him, unsure what to say._

"_Did you go to Paris?" he asked._

"_Oh…no, no it wasn't safe to travel those next few years because…well you know that…" she fumbled, "and then after, I just…I just stayed here. What about you?"_

"_I didn't go to Paris either," Remus smiled softly._

_Rosmerta rolled his eyes and grinned, "No, what have you been doing?"_

"_Just odd jobs," he said softly._

"_You know…Mr. Angling, he could use a bit of help in the evenings in you need…"_

"_No," Remus interrupted, "thank you, but I'm all right."_

_Dumbledore smiled pleasantly throughout the exchange and when the following silence began to grow awkward, he said, "Rosmerta, if we could have two hot teas, Darjeeling with two for me please and…" he looked at Remus expectantly._

"_Do you still carry cinnamon spiced black?" he asked hopefully._

"_Of course," Rosmerta nodded, "Be right up."_

"_I'd forgotten that you worked here the summer between your sixth and seventh years," Dumbledore said as she walked away._

_Remus nodded, "Yes. Rosmerta was always talking about wanting to go to Paris and learn to cook from Chef Abelard Beauchamp. I guess she never went."_

"_She's young still." Dumbledore said, staring intently at Remus, "There are still many avenues available for the young."_

_Remus stirred in his seat as Rosmerta brought their tea then tucked his chin as Rosmerta sat a corned beef on rye in front of him._

"_What a wonderful suggestion, Rosmerta," Dumbledore beamed up at her, "I'll have one as well. Please, go ahead," he said as Rosmerta went to retrieve another sandwich._

_The grumbling in his stomach overruled his pride as he dug in. Dumbledore sat quietly, sipping his tea as he watched Remus make himself chew slowly. He smiled and nodded as Rosmerta brought him another._

"_So," he began, "How have you been?"_

"_Well enough," Remus said quietly, swallowing._

"_I must confess I lost track of you these last few years."_

"_As long as we're making confessions, I'll admit it was my intention to disappear."_

_Dumbledore's eyebrows raised slightly. It was apparent he hadn't expected Remus to admit dropping out of sight. When his former student didn't continue, he spoke._

"_Sometimes it helps to get away," he said simply, "I wonder, do you remember the name Gyan Varen from your NEWT Defense classes?"_

_Remus thought for a moment, "Indian wizard born in Delhi. He defeated the Chinese Dark Wizard Xao Po in 1914."_

_Dumbledore smiled, "I'd give points to Gryffindor if I could."_

"_Honestly, Professor…"_

"_Albus."_

"_That's like asking any witch or wizard who you are." Remus said, sipping his tea._

"_A British wizard, perhaps, but you'll find that memories quickly fade and the conqueror of a Dark Wizard almost seventy years ago on another continent has faded from the memories of many here in Britain. It is perhaps why Voldemort was able to build a following so easily. The dangers pass and we forget. With each new rising, I hope that witches and wizards will remember, but they do not."_

_Remus sat quietly for a moment, finding it odd that he should forget the age of the wizard before him who could remember hearing of the atrocities of Xao Po, had himself defeated Gellert Grindewald, and most recently led the fight against Lord Voldemort._

"_But that is not why I have asked to see you. Varen contacted me asking for assistance is in a research project that he has apparently been working on for several years with limited success. When he told me about the project, I immediately thought of you. I informed him that I believed I had the perfect research assistant for him and if he were to take you on as an apprentice, you might agree."_

_Remus searched Dumbledore's face warily, "Professor…"_

"_Albus"_

"_There are so many things you're not telling me I don't know where to begin."_

_Dumbledore smiled, "I can always count on your to call me on my cryptic tendancies. Gyan Varen wants to do a definitive study of werewolves. He has had many failed attempts studying packs across India and the Middle East. At present, he has one werewolf that has agreed to be studied that is living on his property, but as there is only one and it seems this werewolf is newly infected, he does not feel that he is getting completely accurate data. I told him that I knew a werewolf who was a fully qualified wizard who would be able to give him accurate information, but in return, he should instruct you in Defense. He agreed."_

_Remus slowly turned his tea cup, "It was my understanding that Varen hadn't taken an apprentice since before Grindewald's reign." Dumbledore nodded, "So the only reason he would be taking me on is that he wants to do this study."_

"_I agree that it is not the most ideal of circumstances, but this is an opportunity that no other wizard will ever have again, to learn from Gyan Varen." Dumbledore remained quiet, letting Remus consider._

"_So when does he expect me?"_


	13. The Apprentice Part 2

**Author's Note** - Yeesh! It's been around two and a half months since I've updated! So so sorry guys. RL's been crazy. The excuses are wide and varied and include being out of the country, school, death, and birth (taxes soon to be added to that). But, no one wants those details. I'm not sure this is a better stopping point that last time, but my intention is for the Apprentice thread to weave in and out of the main story much like Marauder flashbacks will. So, if you happen to get engaged in that storyline, it will return, but I don't know about you guys, I've been wanting to get to those patronus lessons for forever! Yet more proof that the writer really has no control over her own story. As for when those patronus lessons will come, well, all next week is exam week, so MAYBE that weekend (not this next, but the one after). I do have a two week break from Feb 6 to 22, so hopefully I can progress some then, but as I already have some obligations for that two weeks, I make no promises except to do my very best. This is for SiriusHarryPotter because she asked so nicely…twice.

Chapter 6 – The Apprentice (Part 2)

_Dumbledore smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, "The day after tomorrow. You'll stay the night here, then take a port key to Paris, then Rome, then Ankara, Baghdad, and finally New Delhi. Gyan will meet you in New Delhi and the two of you will apparate to his home from there. I've taken the liberty of reserving a room here for you. Do you need time to collect your belongings?"_

_Remus grinned and spread his arms open, looking down at himself. _

"_It is a wise man that does not allow himself to be defined by possessions."_

"_That same wise man must have frozen his ass off."_

_Dumbledore chuckled, "You always were one to look at things practically. I am glad that you have accepted this opportunity. I had hoped that your efforts at Hogwarts would not go unrewarded."_

"_Being allowed to attend was reward enough, Professor. If I never accomplish anything with my life, those seven years were enough. I don't know if I ever properly thanked you for them."_

"_You have thanked me many times, Remus, and you have never needed to," Dumbledore said, "You had the same right as every other wizarding child to attend."_

"_Still, no one else would have let me. Thank you."_

"_You are most welcome."_

_The next day, Remus found himself slightly nauseous as he dropped a bottlecap at the desk of a tiny man with large black eyes covered by coke-bottle glasses sitting behind a desk in the Indian Magical Parliament._

_The man spoke in a bored voice in Hindi, not bothering to look up. Remus only caught his own name._

"_Erm," Remus shifted._

_The man looked up, his eyes magnified and blinking owlishly, "Ten fifty port from Baghdad, original point of departure Hogsmeade, Scotland, Remus Lupin?"_

"_Yes," Remus swallowed, still mildly sick. He'd never ported so many times in such quick succession._

"_Welcome to India," the little man continued in a bored monotone, "Please fill out these forms," he handed Remus a tall stack of purple papers, "File them with the Division of Guests, Tourists, and Pests on the fifth floor. You will be directed from there."_

"_Thank you, but could you tell me…"_

"_Please clear the platform. A party of eight is due any minute. Proceed to the fifth floor and you will be directed from there."_

_Remus sighed, adjusting the stack of forms and juggling a brown leather bag with "RJ Lupin" stamped in gold leaf across one corner. He had found it when he woke that morning in his room. It contained bottles of ink in various colors (Remus was particularly amused by the pink), four falcon feather quills, several yards of parchment, a set of books entitled __Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts__, a comb, a toothbrush that produced its own paste, and a razor that produced its own foam. The bag had been charmed to fit all this and quite a bit more should he need it. On top had been a note that read:_

_Dear Remus,_

_Just a few things to start you off on the next phase of your journey. Please accept this small gift to a former student who, as all the best students do, taught me as much as I hope I have taught him._

_Dumbledore_

_Beside the bag, a set of robes, a few pairs of pants, some shirts and sweaters, and several pairs of socks were neatly folded with a note from Rosmerta saying that Mr. Angling had long expanded past being able to wear them and it would be a kindness if Remus would take them so they wouldn't clutter up Mrs. Angling's closet. Remus had sighed, knowing that it would look ungrateful to refuse the gifts, especially seeing as he could hardly claim he didn't need them. They'd fit easily into the leather bag from Dumbledore and it had all traveled lightly._

_Remus steadily followed the direction the little wizard had pointed him. The corridors spiraled through the building and Remus felt sure he would have become lost except for the fact that he could scent the myriad of smells that could only come from travelers from many different countries. Finally he arrived at a lobby that extended magnificently both up and down, the center of which contained a network of walkways surrounding four escalators that spiraled in and out of each other. Signs at the end of the walkways informed him he was on the eleventh floor, so he moved towards the escalators taking him down to the fifth where he found a long line extending out of the Division of Guests, Tourists, and Pests._

"_Wonder which category I get put in," he muttered, joining the line behind a witch and wizard speaking in Russian and began to fill out his forms._

_Four hours later, Remus finally stepped off the escalator onto the first floor. He looked around for the main entrance where he was to meet Gyan Varen. The defense master wasn't hard to spot. No other wizard in the area had his arms crossed about a walking stick, tapping his foot, and a scowl of much impatience. Varen was hunched over with great age as he had been getting on in years even when Dumbledore was in his youth. Even had he stood straight, he would have only come to Remus's shoulders._

"_Mr. Varen," Remus nodded, "It is a great honor to meet you, sir." He extended a hand._

_Varen did not take it, his black eyes scrutinizing Remus from head to toe before nodding and turning on heel out of the Parliament, speaking only a heavily accented "Keep up" over his shoulder._

_For a man pushing over a hundred and fifty, Varen moved swiftly in and out of the crowd, easily ducking around people with his small size, leaving Remus to dodge and swerve, more often than not jostling those around him leaving glares in his wake as he tried to keep pace. Remus was pleased to note that while it wasn't exactly warm, it was far less chilly than the wind-whipped streets of Scotland had been. They walked for twenty minutes through muggle streets, Remus starting to work up a sweat, before coming to a small park. Varen proceeded to a grove of trees before finally stopping. "Take my arm."_

_Remus did and instantly he felt the squeezing sensation of apparition as he turned with the elder wizard._

_Blasting sharp wind was the next sensation Remus noted and he gasped, blinking to observe snow capped mountains and large drifts. Already, Varen was moving again, steadily climbing a snow-covered hill. Remus quickly performed a warming charm that took the bite out of air and hurried to follow. The younger wizard had no idea how long they walked, but the sun had noticeably moved in the sky before he caught sight of a few small buildings on an outcropping of mountain ahead._

"_Is that where we're going, sir?" Remus asked Varen, who did not answer, but continued his trek head down and walking stick propelling him effortlessly through the snow._

_Finally, they did arrive at the cluster of building Remus had spotted. Varen lead him towards one of the smaller wood-framed buildings and held open the door. Remus stepped inside, shaking from the cold, and brushed snow from his shoulders and hair._

"_I did not realize we would be quite so far into the mountains or I would have made a better effort to prepare," Remus stuttered a bit, smiling._

"_This is your place." Varen said, ignoring Remus's words, "There is your bed," he pointed to a pile of hay in a corner, "You will both be supplied with food for the day each morning."_

"_Both?" Remus glanced around, only now noticing that someone else was in the one room shack. The girl looked to be about his age with long black hair that would have come down to her waist were it not a nest of tangles and knots. Her face was turned away from them._

"_Sir, I don't think that it's appropriate for me to be sharing one room with a strange woman."_

"_She is your kind," Varen shrugged, "I do not see how it will matter," he said turning back towards the door._

"_But sir, what about the wash room. She might not want to share it with a man."_

"_What do you need a wash room for?" Varen turned, looking genuinely confused._

_Remus was at a loss, "For the toilet, for a shower, to clean my teeth…for what everyone uses a wash room for."_

"_But Dumbledore told me that you are a werewolf."_

_Remus's eyes narrowed, "I am, but that doesn't mean that I don't do everything else normal humans do."_

"_Really? How very strange," Varen looked thoughtful, "Well, there are no facilities except at my home. I shall bring you a bowl and cloths for washing. If you say that werewolves do indeed wash, I shall bring another for it is certain that Asha could use it. The rest you shall have to figure out yourself."_

_Varen turned to leave._

"_How long has Asha been here?" Remus asked staring at the huddled body nestled in hay._

"_Since she was bitten four months ago. It is curious. She has never asked for anything and yet she was human four months ago. You have been a werewolf most of your life, if what Dumbledore told me is correct, and yet you ask for these things. Most curious. This could be productive already," he muttered, exiting the shack, leaving Remus to stare at the woman hunched in the corner, her arms wrapped around her legs, her body shaking beneath oversized clothes._


	14. Patronus Lessons Part 1

Author's Note - Sorry everyone for the long away once again. Just a tough block in med school right now. Thanks to SiriusHarryPotter for diligence and patience and the same goes to you all that were doing the same. I don't believe I've thanked my new beta yet either, so thanks to Wolviesfan.

This is the end of Chapter 6 and the start of 7 as some transition was needed before proceeding.

* * *

"As I said, nothing glamorous about it," Remus sighed, wincing as he leaned backwards, stretching sore muscles. "He used me to complete the most definitive study of werewolves on record, and I used him to get my Masters."

"How long did it take you?" Sirius asked.

"Five years. Three years of apprenticeship study and then two years of externship," Remus replied, glancing at the door, "You forgot to order Kreacher to come back, didn't you?"

"Bugger," Sirius grumbled, storming out of the room, "Kreacher!"

Remus grinned, shaking his head, and continued cleaning.

Sirius stomped down the stairs, barking for the house elf. He quieted when he neared his mother's portrait and went into the kitchen, searching under the table and in the nook where he used to stay without success. He froze when he heard the front door open. It was far too early for anyone to be arriving for training tonight. He drew his wand as footsteps proceeded down the hall…footsteps that stopped suddenly only to be followed by a clatter and a feminine "Bollocks!"

Sirius snorted and stowed his wand. He left the kitchen to find his cousin sprawled on the floor, a troll's leg umbrella stand upended at her feet.

"Wotcher," Tonks moaned, accepting Sirius' help to her feet.

"I see you never outgrew that clumsiness your mother always lamented." Sirius grinned.

"Poor woman had the best reparo in the country." Tonks nodded, sucking at an abrasion on her palm, "Almost failed stealth and tracking over it."

"So what are you doing here so early? Nothing better to do than hang out in an decrepit musty house of loathsome witches and wizards?"

"I came to help you do something about that. I know you and your friend are cleaning up," she said, brushing herself off, "I'm not really very good at householdy spells, but I figured if I accidentally incinerated something, you wouldn't mind."

"Want to start in my mother's room?" Siris smirked. "Come on up. I left Remus in one of the guest rooms. Not too much left to do, really. We just wanted enough rooms for the Weasleys to start with, but we'll need more for later. Last time around, most of us ended up staying at headquarters more than our homes. Moony, mate, reinforcements have arrived!"

* * *

Chapter 7 – Patronus Lessons

"I'm telling you, Ronald, if Dumbledore thinks its best that Harry not be told anything, then there's a reason for it," Hermione said for what felt like the fiftieth time, but in truth was only the forth. She followed the Weasleys through the streets of London, headed for the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. She wished Ron would be quiet. She was trying to memorize the way should she ever need to find it on her own. She was also trying to take note of places where she would divert her path should she be followed or slip away and hide should she be ambushed.

"Well if you were Harry, wouldn't you think you had more of a right than anyone to know what's going on?" Ron countered.

"If I were Harry, I would trust Professor Dumbledore to do what's right." They had been having this argument since Professor Dumbledore had met her at the Burrow to reveal the location of headquarters to her and to tell them not to include any details if they wrote to Harry.

"Then why isn't Harry coming to Headquarters too," Ron huffed, "I mean when was the last time Harry spent the whole summer at his aunt and uncles?

"Well, I suppose the summer before he first came to Hogwarts. He spent the next summer with you."

"And the next he ran off and got to stay in Diagon Alley," Ron added.

"And last summer he stayed with you again." Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Exactly! So why is it that this summer when You-Know-Who is back he's staying with muggles instead of at the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix where there are witches and wizards and aurors?" Ron almost ran into Hermione's back, "What'd you stop for?"

"You know, you have a good point."

"What?"

"Oh, close your mouth. You look like a guppy," Hermione said, trying to hide her smile, "I said, you have a good point. You would think that he would be safer at Headquarters where he could be protected."

"Someone's watching Harry," Ginny interjected from in front of them.

"Would you stop eavesdropping on conversations," Ron snapped.

"If you don't want to be overheard, have your conversation in private," Ginny snapped back.

"What do you mean someone's watching Harry?" Hermione asked hurriedly as Ron drew breath to retort.

"I overheard Mum and Dad talking last night. They said that the Order is assigning rotating guards for Harry's house."

"How is it that you always know what's going on? You knew Bill and Charlie were coming in, you knew we were coming here the other day." Ron sputtered.

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Just because I'm the youngest doesn't mean I'm stupid."

"Where did Mr. and Mrs. Weasley go?" Hermione asked sharply, cutting Ron off from continuing the argument.

"What do you mean?" Ginny asked, glancing at the front steps of Grimmauld Place, "They're on the stoop."

"We're here?" Hermione looked about, "but I don't see anything."

Charlie joined them from where he had been bringing up the rear, "We've all been here once before. To see it for the first time, you have to concentrate a bit. Just relax and look at the spot between numbers 11 and 13."

Hermione took a deep breath and stared determined between the numbers. Slowly, the two buildings seemed to shift apart. The occupants of number 11, visible through the front window, seemed unaware of the fact that their apartment was moving as they continued preparing dinner. "Oh, so that's how a Fidelis Charm works."

Fred and George turned and gave identical eye rolls before they proceeded up the front steps behind their parents. Remembering their disastrous entry before, Mr. Weasley softly opened the front door only to have music blast out, extolling the virtues of old time rock and roll. At the end of the hallway, the portrait of Mrs. Black could clearly be seen to be having a fit, but her shrieks muffled under the barrage of music. An ancient house elf, its skin sagging and batlike ears held stiff by rags stuffed in them was attempting to comfort her as he stroked her frame.

Molly Weasley was giving running commentary on the noise and by the speed in which her lips moved, it was clear she had a lot to say. The group made their way upstairs and down a hallway to find the music coming from the library. The door stood open and inside, Sirius spun Tonks about in a wild dance in the middle of the floor. Remus was lounging on a settee, his long legs draped over the arm, seeming to be reading intently, but he glanced up at the movement in the doorway. Beside him, the bell of a gramophone produced multicolored bubbles that shifted with the tone of the music. With a wave of his wand, the music stopped. Tonks stutter stepped and would have fallen had Sirius not caught her and gracefully pulled her into a dip. From downstairs, Mrs. Black's portrait shrieked.

"…blood traitor playing that wretched muggle noise…"

"What'd you stop the music for?" Tonks laughed as Sirius swept her up.

"We have company," Remus inclined his head towards the door, put his book on the end table, and stood.

"Hello Professor Lupin," Hermione pushed past the Weasleys and wrapped her arms around the older man. She let go quickly and blushed, afraid she had overstepped her bounds. After all, she had only been one of his students

Remus blushed a bit himself, but smiled warmly. "Hello Hermione. I think you can dispense with the 'Professor' bit. Remus will do fine."

"I like calling you Professor," Hermione said, "You were the best one we ever had."

Remus blushed a bit deeper and swept his arm towards the other two, "Hermione this is Nymphadora Tonks," then added quickly, "Who goes by Tonks," he said, seeing the telltale start of fiery red at the roots of the woman's hair.

"Wotcher," Tonks said offering her hand.

"You're a metamorphmagus!" Hermione said delighted.

"Yep," Tonks confirmed, obliging shifting her hair fully red.

"Tonks is an auror," Sirius said, "and my baby cousin."

"Hello Sirius," Hermione gave him a warm hug as well, "Its good to see you both. Especially you," she turned a slightly accusing gaze towards Remus. "You left before any of us could say goodbye, and you didn't write any of us," she said.

"Well, I thought it best to leave before the torches and pitchforks came out. As for writing, I apologize. I didn't really think any one would want to hear from me," he shrugged.

"Well, now you know better," Hermione smiled.

"Hello all," Sirius turned to the redheaded crowd at the doorway, "We've got rooms for all of you. Right this way." He swept past them, leading the way.

"You're giving patronus lessons tonight?" Hermione asked as she and Remus followed.

"That's right," Remus nodded.

"Could I sit in?"

"Yeah, Mum, can we?" Ginny asked eagerly.

"Yeah, Mum!"

"Please, Mum!"

"You lot aren't allowed to perform magic during the summer," Mrs. Weasley said sternly.

"We wouldn't have to practice the spell Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said tentatively, "We'd just watch and listen. Professor Lupin always includes theory whenever he's teaching a new spell and it's really helpful."

"Well, I just don't see…"

"Actually, Molly," Arthur interrupted, "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"Please, Mum," Ginny looked up at her pitifully.

"When was the last time we wanted to go to a lesson, huh Mum," Fred wheedled.

"Well…" Molly looked reluctant, "if Mr. Lupin doesn't mind, I suppose you can."

"More the merrier," Remus shrugged.

The children cheered, setting Mrs. Black's portrait off again.

Remus sighed, "I'll get that. I should get the dining hall ready anyway."

"Can I help?" Hermione asked.

"Don't you want to get settled in your room?" Remus asked.

Hermione shrugged, "Ginny can show me where it is later."

"All right then."

As the two descended, the noise from the portrait grew ever louder.

"How could you read with the music so loud?" Hermione asked, wincing as she copied Remus' movements and struggled to pull the curtains across Mrs. Black.

"I shared a dormitory with James and Sirius for seven years," Remus smiled, as he pulled on his side "You quickly learn how to perform a sound dampening charm with all that music and laughing and small explosions."

"Could you teach me that?" Hermione asked through grit teeth, "My roommates are horribly chatty."

Boots clomped down the stairs and hands with black and purple nail polish helped Hermione finally pull the curtains closed.

"Ugh, finally!" Tonks shook her head, "I was about to turn the gramophone back on. I just love oldies, don't you," she nudged the younger girl.

"That, my dear Tonks, is not oldies. That is classic rock," Remus said indignantly, but with a grin.

"Whatever gets you through the night," Tonks smirked, leading a laughing Hermione into the dining hall.


	15. Patronus Lessons Part 2

**Author's Note** - Once again my apologies for taking so long between posts. School is school. But on the upside, my summer break starts June 19!!! Thanks to my wonderful beta Wolviesfan for her diligence, sharp eye, and suggestions. Sorry for the two uploads. Caught more mistakes.

* * *

**Chapter 7 - Patronus Lessons (Part 2)**

Remus shook his head and followed the two into the dining hall. The room was large and open, with only a large table capable of seating twelve occupying the center of the room.

"So, Professor, how do you want the room set up?" Tonks grinned cheekily.

"Well, **Nymphadora**," he emphasized, "since you're an auror, you can check behind me and Sirius and make sure nothing's going to influence the practice session.

"Ooo, someone doesn't like being called professor, do they?" She smirked, inspecting the tapestries for anything dark.

"Someone didn't mind it when they were a professor, but it seems inappropriate now," Remus replied, waving his wand to shrink the table before picking it up and placing it on a wall shelf.

"I still don't understand why you resigned," Hermione said tentatively as she picked up a chair to move it to the side, "I mean, Dumbledore would have stood up for you."

Remus smiled sadly, "That's what Harry said, but neither of you understand just how much Dumbledore has done for me. Besides, after what happened, I learned that no matter what precautions you take, it's just not safe for me to be around people at the full moon."

"But it was an accident," Hermione protested. "Something like that night could never happen again."

"No," Remus agreed, "but a different set of circumstances could bring about the same result. I could never live with myself if I bit someone, Hermione. Trust me, its better this way."

"Hermione, dear," Mrs. Weasley stuck her head into the room, eyeing Remus warily "Come get your things unpacked."

"All right, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said reluctantly and followed the elder witch from the room.

The room acquired an awkward silence after Hermione left. Remus and Tonks paced about the room, inspecting the shelves and tapestries.

"I'm excited to learn how to cast a patronus," Tonks finally said hesitantly, "I've always wondered what my animagus form might be. Now I'll know without having to learn the transformation."

"Maybe, maybe not," Remus said. "Your patronus form and your animagus form aren't always the same."

"They're not?" Tonks asked.

Remus shook his head, "Quite commonly they are, but not always. Sirius's animagus, as you know, is a large black dog, but his patronus form is a lion. Some people's patronus forms change shape when they fall in love to match the other person's patronus. Some people's change from a traumatic experience or emotional upheaval. Your animagus form never changes."

"Darn," Tonks said, "I always wondered what sort of animal I'd turn into."

Remus smiled, "Me too."

"So what's your patronus?" Tonks asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Expecto patronum," Remus whispered softly. From the tip of his wand, silvery-gray wisps emerged and curled into a solid ball that rolled once about the room before stopping at Tonks's feet, uncurling into a small bear cub that held its hindpaws in its forepaws and rocked to and froe on its rounded bottom. The patronus gazed up at Tonks and seemed to grin and flap its ears.

"Ah, I see you've released Trouble," Sirius said, striding into the room. At the sound of his voice, Remus's patronus scampered from Tonks to circle Sirius, its ears flapping happily.

"Trouble?" Tonks asked.

"Trouble," Sirius pointed at the bear cub, "is what we named Remus's patronus."

"What is it with blokes and naming things," Tonks shook her head.

"Want to know what else I've named?" Sirius waggled his eyebrows.

"Sirius, she's your cousin!" Remus sputtered.

"My parents were cousins," Sirius shrugged, "I was only kidding with her Moony."

"Too right you were," Tonks grimaced, "Our family tree has quite a few loops in it. No reason to add more. I didn't know patronuses were so animated."

"Yeah, Remus, I don't remember your patronus moving without you directing it before," Sirius said thoughtfully, watching Trouble grin up at him.

"All depends on what you call them for," Remus said, flicking his wand. Trouble waved a forepaw and disappeared.

"What else would you call them for besides a dementor?" Tonks asked.

Remus didn't have a chance to answer as Bill and Charlie Weasley entered the dining room.

"She's got long blonde hair and these eyes that…I can't even describe them," Bill was saying.

"Bill, I told you, I saw her at the Triwizard Tournament," Charlie said, shaking his head, "Well, at least your transfer to the London branch isn't going to be as bad as you thought."

"I'm sensing it's a woman we're talking about," Sirius grinned.

"Not just A woman," Bill grinned dopily, "THE woman. But do me a favor, don't say anything to my Mum, ok? She goes a bit round the bend when one of us talks about dating someone seriously." Charlie rolled his eyes in agreement.

"What, your mum doesn't want you to get married?" Tonks asked.

"Oh, she does, but I think she has her own idea about what sort of person we should marry and it's usually a far cry from what we think." Bill said.

"Except for Ginny," Charlie said, "Mum thoroughly approves of her choice."

Bill laughed, "What mum wouldn't? But I've told Ginny not to get her hopes up."

"Why?" Tonks asked, "Who does Ginny fancy?"

"Harry," Bill said.

"Oooo, shooting high, isn't she?" Tonks said a bit sympathetically.

"I don't know," Sirius said offhand, "His dad was sure one for redheads. Besides, Harry's just a kid like any other."

"To you, probably," Tonks said, "After all, I imagine you two changed his nappies, but I bet Harry's considered top catch at Hogwarts."

"Well, he takes after his godfather in that department."

Remus coughed something into his fist. Tonks snickered. Sirius scowled.

A half hour later, the room was full of the new members of the Order of the Phoenix, Hermione, the Weasley children, and Sirius.

"Well, as you all know, Dumbledore asked you here to learn to cast the Patronus Charm," Remus began. "As the patronus is the Order's primary means of communication, we can't allow any of you into the field until you can produce one."

Kingsley Shacklebolt raised his hand, "A question," he said, "I do not understand about this means of communication. The Patronus Charm is to ward off dementors and lethifolds."

"That is what the Patronus Charm is almost exclusively used for, yes, but actually, it has many more applications. Just the name and incantation of the charm suggest that the original creator of the spell intended it for much more," Remus began to pace to room, a familiar sight for the Hogwarts students listening by the door. He had always liked to move about the room rather than lecture from the front, interacting with each of them.

"As we all know, most incantations are rooted in ancient language. The incantation for the Patronus Charm is 'Expecto patronum.' Broken down, this means 'I expect a protector.' In ancient Roman times, a patronus was the guardian of someone who was dependent on them. The word also has some connections to pater or father, which is also a figure of protection. So why should we think that the Patronus Charm is limited only to protection against certain dark creatures?"

Without realizing it, most of the people in the room had leaned forward in their seats, soaking in Remus's words.

"Protection can come in all sorts of forms, and it is in this way that the Patronus charm can be used for other means. In the first war, Dumbledore thought to use the Patronus charm as a means of communication between Order members. The message cannot be intercepted as an owl can, and, because each person's patronus is unique and cannot be replicated, we will always know who is sending the message without the person having to state their identity.

"Now, everyone is familiar with the traditional concept of a patronus, yes?" He paused to see each head nod, "Against a dementor, the patronus acts as a positive force that shields its castor. The dementor feeds on hope and happiness and the will to live. So, in order to act as a shield against a dementor, the patronus has to be infused with happiness. This can be very difficult to do in the face of a dementor, especially if its close enough to exert is effect before you can cast the charm. Now, as lethifolds are not native to this region, most European witches and wizards aren't familiar with the casting of a patronus against one. Lethifolds attack when you're asleep, then they engulf and digest you without giving you time to react."

Molly Weasley shuddered.

"Mages of the Obutu tribe in the Congo discovered that the Patronus charm can act as a guardian while they sleep to keep lethifolds from attacking. They use the same spell, in their own language of course, but rather than infusing happiness into the spell, they infuse awareness. Basically, any spell has the potential for several uses depending upon both the incantation and the intent of the caster.

"So," Remus said, "what we're aiming for tonight is to be able to cast a patronus with the intent of sending a message. The incantation is the same of course, 'Expecto patronum,' and as you're casting, you infuse the spell with your message and how you feel about the recipient because each person in our lives touches us in a different way. You have to concentrate on the feeling that person gives you and your message, and then…Expecto patronum!" He flicked his wand and the bear cub rolled swiftly out from the tip, unfolding at Sirius's feet. Its muzzle moved, Remus's voice emerging from it.

"Sirius's fly is down."

Everyone looked at Sirius, who checked himself as the patronus slowly disappeared.

"It is not," he scowled. The twins chuckled.

Tonks raised her hand, "What if, for some reason, you don't want anyone else within earshot to hear the message?"

"It's a bit harder and takes more concentration, but you can cast it so that only the intended recipient of the message can hear it," he closed his eyes for a moment, then flicked his wand, "Expecto patronum!"

Once again, the bear cub rolled out and unfolded at Sirius' feet, rocking on its round bottom while its muzzle moved before fading away. Sirius once again checked himself, "Knock it off, Remus. We outgrew putting people's flys down after first year."

"I don't believe I ever put down any one's fly. That was you and James." Remus retorted, "Anyway, are there any other questions? If not, break into pairs and practice trying to send a patronus to your partner."

Everyone paired off, Arthur facing Molly, Tonks facing Kingsley, Bill facing Charlie, and several other new Order members that didn't really know anyone well paired off. The twins attempted to join the end of the line, but a threat from Molly to send them upstairs had them trudging back to join Hermione, Ron, and Ginny.

The room was full of pinched faces and the same incantation as Remus walked down one line, gently correcting a grip or a wand flick. Sirius walked the other side, occasionally giving advice. A few hours passed with some breaks taken. Remus could tell people were getting discouraged, so he made sure to speak quietly and give encouragement, repeating stories of his and Sirius's failed attempts at the Patronus Charm.

It was Molly Weasley who first cast a patronus. Everyone stopped as silvery wisps emerged from her wandtip, Arthur encouraging her, and then the small form of a hen erupted and scurried to Arthur's feet, bellowing, "Did you remember to put the cat out?"

After everyone took their hands off of their ears, they swiftly applauded.

Molly blushed, "I think I need to work on the volume."

Very shortly, Kingsley Shacklebolt sent a lynx patronus to Tonks, telling her to turn her hair purple. Before the end of the night, Bill's falcon patronus had soared about the room shortly followed by Tonks's macaw, which Remus could have sworn had a purple tint to its silver swirls to match her current choice of hair color. Arthur had cast a weasel that wound gracefully about Molly's hen before disappearing.

The practice continued and several Order members departed in the late hour until only the Weasleys, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Tonks remained. Molly had sent the children up to bed after much protest. Kingsley was currently sitting with Sirius, working out plans for laying out a false trail for his manhunt.

"Why can't we get them to do the message?" Tonks sighed frustrated as she tried again. Only Molly's and Kingsley's were entirely successful.

"Tonks, the fact that you even cast a corporeal patronus tonight is a huge feat. It's an incredibly difficult spell to perform." Remus assured her from his place beside Charlie.

"I'll say," Charlie grumbled as wisps of silver once again came from his wandtip. A vague shape attempted to form, but would not materialize. Remus was pretty sure it would be a crocodile when it did.

"The patronus is the hard part," Remus tried to reassure him, "Keep working on it and I feel sure you'll have it."

The door to the dining room opened and Dumbledore peered in, ducking swiftly as Tonks's macaw buzzed the door, "Ah, how wonderful," he smiled, but it was strained, "Remus, how many have been successful?"

"Mrs. Weasley and Kingsley have messenger patronuses. Arthur, Bill, and Tonks are able to cast the forms, but haven't got the messages attached yet. Charlie is very close." Remus answered.

Behind Dumbledore, Moody stood, his stance anxious, "I'm afraid we're all going to be getting a bit of trail by fire tonight. There's been an attack."

Every body in the room went rigid.

"I've already dispatched the old crowd, but we're going to need more," Dumbledore said grimly.

"What's happened?" Sirius asked.

"The Death Eaters are attacking a remote muggle village in northern Yorkshire. There have already been some deaths," Moody replied, "Sirius, there's a map in the kitchen and a list of members already deployed. Go plot them out and see where the best place to insert three more groups is. We're going to group you new lot up. Lupin, is Shacklebolt's patronus sound?" At Remus's nod, Moody continued, "Good, then Shacklebolt, you and Tonks together. You're both Aurors, so you should be able to handle yourselves. Arthur, Molly, you're with me. Bill and Charlie with Lupin."

"Oh, but um…" Molly started to speak, "Surely, Headmaster, you're needed too?" She said hopefully.

"I'm afraid I am needed in another capacity, my dear," Dumbledore said, "In fact, I should hurry," he turned swiftly back out the door.

"Moony, mate, come look at this map with me, will you?" Sirius said as he left the room. Remus followed.

"Alastor," Molly began, "is there any…"

"Mum, Bill and I will be fine. Remus really seems to know what he's doing," Charlie interrupted her.

"Molly," Moody said, "if there's one person in this whole Order I'd want at my back, it'd be Lupin."

"You mean aside from Dumbledore of course," Tonks said.

"I know what I said, missy," Moody snapped before heading towards the kitchen himself.


	16. The Battle That Never Happened

Thanks as always for my wonderful beta, who also carries a mean cattleprod.

* * *

Chapter 8 – The Battle That Never Happened

When the group entered the kitchen, both Remus and Sirius were leaning over a large map spread across the table, fingers tracing the terrain.

Sirius looked up. "Mad-Eye, there's not much cover in this area. I think it would be better to make one insertion point and then fan out from there. It'll give you more time before you're discovered."

Mad-Eye leaned over to where Sirius was pointing on the map and grunted in agreement. "Hopefully Albus will be able to get reinforcements from the Ministry in the meantime," he said without much conviction before turning to the rest of the group. "All right you lot, we're strictly back-up. Most of you are untested and I don't want you on the front lines just yet."

Tonks made a noise of protest.

"You might be an auror," Moody growled, pointing a finger at her, "but you've never seen battle before, so take it as a learning experience. Unfortunately, you'll be a veteran before you know it."

Sirius pointed down at the map. On it, small dots moved, each with a name of an Order member labeling it. "You'll all apparate in here," he indicated a small grove of trees. "Remus will be on point. If he says it's clear, you'll fan out. Mad-Eye, Molly, and Arthur will go this way and provide back-up for Sturgis and Hestia. Kingsley, you and Tonks go this way and cover for Dedalus and Emmeline. Remus, Charlie, and Bill will have the longest route, rounding this way and cover for Elphias and Dung. Elphias will probably need the help," Sirius shook his head.

"Moody is most experienced," Kingsley frowned. "Why is he not on point?"

"I can see through the back of my head, but I can't compete with the night vision or the senses of a werewolf. Let's not waste time with stupid questions. Line up for battle marks," Moody growled.

"What's a battle mark?" Charlie asked as he lined up with the others.

"It's a magical mark developed by the Order during the last war," Moody said as he went down the line, flicking his wand at each person in turn. "It's only visible to the Order members so we don't accidentally attack one of our own."

"It also allows each of you to be seen on the map," Sirius added. It had been the Marauders' idea to sync the battle marks with maps of battle areas. It was a more complex variation of the magic they'd used to make the Marauder's Map, not that they had explained that to Dumbledore. "Once you apparate in, you'll appear as a marked dot on the map so that whoever's watching will be able to keep track of where everyone is."

"That way, if one of you goes down, we'll be able to find you again," Moody added.

"Cheery Mad-Eye, really cheery," Tonks said glancing at the apprehensive faces of the Weasleys.

"It's not meant to be cheery, Missy. Signum litis!" Moody rapped his wand on her head a bit more forcefully than necessary as he applied her mark. "We never leave anyone behind."

While Moody was marking the group, Sirius pulled Remus aside and spoke quietly. "I could come with you, you know? It's dark and we'll be on the back lines."

"Sirius, no. If Albus is able to get help from the Ministry, what do you think would happen? Besides, we need you here to watch the marks on the map and make sure everyone checks in."

Sirius huffed, folding his arms across his chest. "Just be careful, all right? Don't count on them to watch your back."

"Why wouldn't they?" Remus glanced furtively up at the group.

"Well, if they're anything like their mother," Sirius snarled.

"You're nothing like your mother," Remus made his point gently.

Sirius sighed, "Just be careful, all right?"

His expression was very reminiscent of one seen on Molly Weasley's face, but Remus decided not to point that out to him. "Always." He held his fist out like they used to do long ago.

Sirius grinned and bumped his fist on top of Remus's.

"You know that's actually popular to do now," Remus grinned back.

"Of course it is, we started it," Sirius said.

The group was moving out of the kitchen towards the front door. Remus joined the end of the line, Sirius on his heels. As Remus walked out of the front door, Sirius waved his wand to put a battle mark on him before they walked down to the street, crossed it, and disapparated out of sight.

They apparated into the edge of a small grove of trees. It was strangely quiet, even to Remus's sensitive ears. He opened his eyes, and they adjusted easily to the pitch black darkness. Sirius and James had often asked him how different things looked with his night vision, but that was like trying to describe sight to a blind man. Colors were more muted, but he could still easily see the outlines of the sparse houses and barns in this rural community. He could see no movement. Drawing a slow breath through his nose, he tested the air. He detected the unique scents of each of his companions, the smells of the grass, trees, nearby crops, and the smell of deer that had recently been nearby, but nothing else.

"It's clear," he whispered softly.

Moody muttered, "Lumos signum litis." Instantly they could all see a soft purple aura around each other. "You all remember which way to go?" Moody whispered. Each person nodded. "Let's get moving then. Find your team members and stay together. If you find yourself separated, apparate back to headquarters immediately. Sirius is watching us, but if you move off the map and are ambushed, we won't be able to find you to help, understood?" There was a soft "yes" from everybody, and they split up.

Remus, Bill, and Charlie made their way slowly across the edge of the grove and began skirting a cornfield, heading towards where Elphias Doge and Mundungus Fletcher were last seen. They kept a steady pace, Bill and Charlie keeping up admirably, Remus thought, as there was only a quarter moon to light their way. They paused at the end of the cornfield, Remus peering through the night, looking for any sign of their fellow Order members, stray Muggles, and most especially Death Eaters. But once again, there was no movement and it remained silent. Remus could feel the hairs on the back of his neck raise. It was too quiet. He should at least hear the stirring of farm animals, but even the wind was still.

"All right?" He asked, turning to glance at the other two. Both Bill and Charlie nodded as they looked this way and that.

"Any sign of them?" Bill asked quietly.

"No," Remus replied with a shake of his head. "No sign of anything."

"It's awfully quiet, isn't it?" Charlie remarked.

"Yes, it is," Remus said with approval that the younger man had picked up on it, "We're going to edge along that graveyard," he pointed. "And then back around the house. That's where Elphias and Dung were positioned."

When the other two nodded, Remus set off noiselessly. There was a long stretch of ground where there was no cover. They were exactly at the halfway point, as far from cover as they could be, when Remus heard it. A low deep laugh seemed to echo from all around the three wizards.

"Quite a clever creation, those battle marks," a disembodied voice mocked from the darkness. "When Pettigrew explained them to us, it was like having a personalized target for each of you."

Remus waved his wand and the purple aura disappeared from each of them. He reached out with all his senses. Frowning, he cocked his head, listening.

"Remus, what's going on?" Charlie whispered.

"Burrowing," Remus replied, confused. "I hear something burrowing."

At that moment, a gray, rotted hand shot out from the earth, grabbing Bill's ankle. He cried out in astonishment.

"Diffindo!" Remus pointed his wand at the hand, which severed from the rest of the arm when the spell hit. Bill hurriedly pulled the hand from his leg and tossed it into the darkness rubbing his hand convulsively against his shirt. Charlie grabbed his brother's arm and both hurriedly backed away from where the inferius continued to burrow out of the ground.

Remus could see mounds of earth shifting in the graveyard.

"Back away slowly," Remus whispered. "No sudden movements. Inferi are only able to do the bidding of the wizard that enchanted them. They reacted when we tried to get past, so just keep moving away and stay calm."

"So, any advice for being scared senseless?" Charlie forced a laugh.

"Just keep moving slowly," Remus replied, his voice steady. He could hear both Weasleys breathing heavily, their heartbeats pounding ever more rapidly. They stood shoulder to shoulder behind him, one broad and stocky, one slim and tall, each with their wands at the ready. The inferi were bobbing their heads back and forth like insects moving their antennae, trying to sense where their prey had gone.

"Remus," Charlie's voice wavered uncertainly.

"Stand steady," Remus said, seeing the subtle slowing of the inferi's movements as they were losing track of them. "They're backing down."

The disembodied voice whispered on the wind, "Tarantellegra." The jinx hit Charlie causing his legs to stamp the ground in a frenzied dance and the inferi stampeded.

***

On the other side of the field, Tonks felt her breath leave her as she saw a column of flame erupt in the distance. "By Merlin, what's happened?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt opened his mouth to respond when a ball of silver mist shot up to them, materializing in a bear cub.

"Take battle marks off. Spell's 'Finite signum litis.' They're tracking us," Remus's voice said urgently. In the distance, both aurors could see other balls of mist surging towards the direction of the other groups.

With a wave of her wand, Tonks removed their battle marks. "That wall of flame, that's where Remus's group is, isn't it?"

"Yes," Kingsley replied grimly. "But we have our own mission to attend to."

"If those were fellow aurors out there, you wouldn't just leave them to fight for themselves," Tonks said angrily.

"If they were fellow aurors, they would expect us to do our part," Kingsley replied, placing a hand to her shoulder. "It is admirable to want to help your comrades, but if we do not accomplish our mission, then it is all for nothing."

Tonks set her jaw, nodding jerkily, and strode onwards.

***

Sirius paced and swore. His gaze fell on the map each time he passed, hoping the marks would rematerialize. Remus, Bill, and Charlie were the first to disappear, then slowly, all the Order members had. Even in death, their marks should still show on the map. He had tried to be patient, Remus's voice echoing in his head, _"We need you here."_

Sirius swore, telling Remus's nonexistent voice exactly where he could stow it.

"Mistress's ungrateful traitor is losing his mind, Kreacher thinks," the house elf muttered as he passed by on the way to his den, suddenly scrambling to avoid a kick from Sirius's boot.

"That's it! I've had it," Sirius snatched his wand up from the table and was heading towards the door when Trouble rolled through it and materialized at his feet.

"Stay!" Remus's voice said, "Had to take off battle marks. Will explain later. We need you there!" The last line was punctuated. Trouble slowly dissolved.

Sirius growled, throwing his wand back down on the table. "Stay? Stupid git acts like I actually am a dog. I oughtta…" But he wasn't able to finish what he oughtta do as he stared at the map with frustration.

It seemed as if time itself were standing still. The incessant ticking of his old pocketwatch he'd found in his room beat a steady cadence as his eyes never left the map. He had no idea how much time had passed when he heard the front door open. His head jerked up, and he picked up his wand warily as he heard footsteps coming down the hallway, one of them with a distinct step-clunk pattern. He raised his wand, pointing it at the doorway to the kitchen as it edged open and Mad-Eye came through, Arthur, Molly, Sturgis Podmore, and Hestia Jones behind him.

Mad-Eye grunted approvingly at the wand raised at his face, "At the ready," he nodded. "Good man."

"Where are the others?" Sirius asked, putting his wand down and gazing over their shoulders. "What happened?"

"Are Bill and Charlie not back yet?" Molly asked anxiously.

"No, nor Remus either. Thanks for asking," Sirius glared. "You lot are the first back. Why did you take down the battle marks?"

"Lupin sent a patronus saying they were using them to track us. Should have thought about that since Pettigrew knew about them," Moody said, whacking at the side of his head as if he had water in his ear. "Bloody Malfoy and Goyle, like I can't see through those masks," he growled, "had these two trapped down."

"Goyle got one look at Mad-Eye and ran," Hestia said satisfied. "And Malfoy wasn't about to face all of us himself. Thanks for the help Mad-Eye. We were definitely in it."

Mad-Eye merely grunted acknowledgement as he popped his eye out, cleaning it with a damp rag.

"What about the Muggles?" Sirius asked.

Sturgis shook his head, "One family dead. It's odd though, they were dead when we got there, but the Death Eaters were still around."

"Laid an ambush," Moody said, putting his eye back in and screwing his face as it rolled in its socket.

"But why?" Sturgis didn't seem to expect his question to be answered.

The kitchen door opened again and Kingsley, Tonks, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, and, surprisingly, Elphias Doge joined the group. Emmeline was cradling her left arm with her right.

"You all right?" Sirius asked, though he couldn't keep his eyes from trailing past them hopefully.

"Nothing a stiff whiskey won't cure," Emmeline grimaced.

"Did you see Bill and Charlie?" Molly asked anxiously. Sirius threw her a savage glare.

"No," Tonks shook her head, her purple hair trailing over a shoulder, "Nor Remus. Elphias was with these two."

"Fletcher froze at the first sight of the Death Eaters." Elphias explained. "We were stuck hidden in a barn when we got Remus's patronus. Well, as soon as I took Dung's mark off, he apparated out, so I made my way to where I knew Emmeline and Dedalus were, and a good thing too."

Emmeline nodded. "Six Death Eaters had us trapped and I'd gotten it in the wand arm. With Elphias, we were able to hold them off until these two got there," she nodded at the aurors in thanks.

"Alastor, could you see what was happening with Bill and Charlie?" Molly repeated, her voice wavering. "I saw that big cylinder of fire."

Mad-Eye grimaced, "I couldn't see well through the dark, but it looked like inferi silhouetted against the flames."

"Oh my heavens!" Molly covered her face with her hands. "What kind of dark magic could have made that fire?"

Arthur moved to take her in his arms. She buried her face in his shoulder, her hands trembling. "Molly, I'm sure they're fine." He soothed, though the look on his face was just as anxious.

"Molly, inferi are driven away by fire," Mad-Eye reassured her. "Remus probably conjured it. Damned if I know how he did _that_ though."

"Probably some kind of dark creature magic," Molly sniffed.

"All right, I've had it!" Sirius turned to face Molly, his whole body trembling with rage. "Did you not hear what Mad-Eye just said? The fire was keeping the inferi away! I've watched you shrink away from him like he's some kind of monster and frown in disapproval when he's near the kids. Now he's using dark magic because he's a werewolf."

"Well really! What do you expect?" Molly snapped back, shrugging off a pacifying hand from her husband. "They're the worst kind of creature. The minds of men, but the instincts of an animal. Living in filth, stealing, killing. He probably abandoned my boys at the first sign of trouble. No one trusted him during the first Order, not even you! Elphias told me. He went off to join the other werewolves!"

Sirius glared fiercely at Doge who had the decency to look ashamed.

"If you couldn't even trust him why should I?" Molly asked, looking anguished. "Who knows what information he gave to You-Know-Who?"

"You are talking about the man that has been my brother since I was eleven years old," Sirius snarled, knocking the old ladder back chair he'd been seated in to the floor. "The only man left that I would trust with my life, with Harry's life, without hesitation."

"You weren't so keen to trust him last time, were you?" Molly shot back at him.

Sirius looked down, his hands curling and uncurling into fists, "I made a mistake. A horrible mistake that didn't cost me the last friend I have because Remus will forgive almost anything. I let old prejudices taught to me by my bitch of a mother get in the way. I have two great regrets in my life and both involve my betraying Remus. He never joined the other werewolves. Dumbledore asked him to spy on them."

"Black," Moody growled warningly. The tension was thick in the room, the older Order members looking particularly uncomfortable at the revelation. Sirius merely glared at Moody before continuing.

"Remus is the most decent, kind, honest, and humble man I have ever known. I've watched him put up with the prejudices of ignorant, pathetic excuses for humans like you since I've known what he is. He doesn't seem to react at all, but I've seen something in his eyes break every time. Can you imagine what it's like to be spat on by a stranger when you're just a child because of an illness? To be beaten over something that you can't control? And then to have to deal every month with your body being ripped apart, your mind torn away from you and there's nothing you can do about it. Do you have any idea the kind of bravery it takes to face that every month since the age of five? What kind of strength it takes to risk your life for people who believe that you're not even human? No one can. I've watched him do it, and I don't fully understand it. That's just the man he is. If you're what it means to be human, and he isn't, I'm not sure I want to be one either."

Before Molly could retort, a clatter and a thud sounded from the dining room. Sirius grabbed his wand and burst out of the kitchen, ready to tackle whatever it was that had managed to invade the house with all the fury he'd built up arguing. Moody was on his heels followed closely by Tonks and Kingsley. They burst through the doors only to find Bill and Charlie, both unconscious. A strap of leather with a bell on it was tied at each end to their belt loops.

"No," Molly sobbed as she came in behind them, seeing her sons on the floor. She turned into Arthur beside her, clutching at his shirt.

"Molly," Mad-Eye reached out to her. "Molly, they're just unconscious."

"What?"

She turned back to look and saw Sirius flick his wand at each of them. "Ennervate."

Both stirred, moaning slightly and reaching for their heads.

"Boys," Arthur took Molly's hand and both knelt down beside them. Charlie's nose had been broken while Bill had a nasty gash that had torn through his shirt and across his shoulder. But both were blinking and looking about in confusion.

"Dad?" Bill glanced up at him. "Are we back at Headquarters?"

Charlie glanced around, grimacing. "But where's Remus?"

"About time someone noticed," Sirius growled.

Mad-Eye bent down, untying the strap of leather from their belt loops and examining it. "Looks like Lupin made a portkey out of this cow's bell and sent you back. What happened?"

"We were surrounded," Bill said, sitting up shakily. "Inferi came bursting up out of the ground and they were rushing for us when Remus…" He trailed off, shaking his head, seeming unable to explain.

"Remus just raised his wand and circled it around his head. Fire started coming out of the tip and a wall just rose around us, blocking off the Inferi. I've never seen anything like it," Charlie said, his voice awed.

"Then Remus had us apparate to the nearest corn field so we could regroup. We started back to where we were supposed to meet up with those other Order members, but we were ambushed by Death Eaters. It was like they were waiting for us." Bill took over the story. "I don't know how many there were but it seemed like spells were coming from everywhere. I got hit with something. That's the last thing I remember."

"I saw you go down," Charlie said. "And I tried to get to you, but then I got hit. I don't know what happened next."

"Well, obviously Lupin ported you both back here," Mad-Eye said.

"We have to go back for him then!" Charlie said panicked. "There had to be at least five or six Death Eaters on us."

"Charlie, dear, try to lie still. You're hurt," Molly pushed at the strongest of her sons without much effect as he pulled himself painfully to his feet.

"None of us are going anywhere! Sirius!" Mad-Eye hit Sirius with a Full Body Bind. "We're not going to go chasing about after any one when we don't know where they are. The plan was to wait here for Dumbledore when we got back and that's what we're going to do." He flicked his wand again, releasing Sirius.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Sirius shouted. "If you think I'm going to sit around here waiting while Remus could be…"

"Could be what?" Mad-Eye challenged him. "Dead? What are you going to do if he is? Die with him and leave that godson of yours with nobody? Lupin's a bloody good duelist. We wait here."


	17. The Battle That Never Happened Part 2

Yeah, I know. It's been forever. All I can say is that medical school is not conducive to writing or maintaining your creativity or your sanity. Don't want to delay story. I included the last bit from the last chapter for those of you that don't want to go back and reread. Further comments at the end if anyone is interested….

* * *

"None of us are going anywhere! Sirius!" Mad-Eye hit Sirius with a Full Body Bind. "We're not going to go chasing about after any one when we don't know where they are. The plan was to wait here for Dumbledore when we got back and that's what we're going to do." He flicked his wand again, releasing Sirius.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Sirius shouted. "If you think I'm going to sit around here waiting while Remus could be…"

"Could be what?" Mad-Eye challenged him. "Dead? What are you going to do if he is? Die with him and leave that godson of yours with nobody? Lupin's a bloody good duelist. We wait here."

XXX

The bloody good duelist was feeling bloody well overwhelmed as he dodged a hex while simultaneously deflecting a jinx sent at the younger Weasley boy. The three had been holding up well until the four Death Eater's they'd been dueling became six. Hexes were coming from all directions, and Remus was acting on pure instinct. He wasn't thinking or planning. He'd put himself in another place, just as he'd learned on a cold mountain range in India and let his subconscious guide him. For some reason, on the rare occasion he was required to do this, it was always the voices of his fellow Marauders that ran through his head.

"_Sure are a lot of them, aren't there?" Peter said nervously._

"_Hah, any less and it'd hardly be worth drawing your wand for. Aim for the balls, Moony," Sirius was motivating but a bit unhelpful at times._

"_Ah, but you forget Mister Padfoot, these are Death Eaters," James said, "And that means…"_

"_They don't have balls!" shouted the Marauders._

Remus ducked as a curse raised the hairs on his head and blasted the tree behind him apart.

"_I say, that was rather unsporting," Sirius observed_.

Remus fired a curse of his own back at the source and was gratified to hear an "umph" and a body thud against the ground. There was a shout behind him. He turned and saw Bill fall. Charlie turned as well, abandoning his position to try and reach his brother, but he was struck in the back and fell right beside his sibling.

"_Boy, Moony, if you thought their Mum hated you before wait 'til you get back," James said._

_If I get back_, Remus answered the voice in his head as the spells came even faster than before. Hexes and jinxes flew from his wand as he performed as many wandless spells as he could at the same time. Tree limbs pulled back and swat at two Death Eaters, knocking them off their feet. Another pair of Death Eaters' robes erupted in flames and a well placed Petrificus Totalis felled the last. Quickly, Remus summoned a cow bell from a nearby milking herd that was unlikely to be giving milk for at least a week, tied it to the belts of both Weasley boys, and placed a port spell on it. The bell glowed blue for a moment, then both boys were wisked away, and Remus immediately disapparated.

He rematerialized in a crouch at the edge of a garden near one of the buildings at the end of town. Sirius was likely having litters at the moment, but Remus couldn't risk sending a patronus to assure him that he was still all right. He could make out the movements of Death Eaters on the only road that ran by the main house just meters away and sending a message right now was sure to give away his position. Slowly, and feeling all too much like a wolf on the hunt, Remus prowled from the vegetable garden to the side of the large store house. Sensing no immediate danger, Remus slipped inside. He gave the large room a quick check and saw nothing but several rats feeding on the stock of food. Quietly, he moved to the other side of the warehouse which exited on to the main road. Several shadows were congregating just on the other side of the door.

"…know we were here tonight?"

"That is the Order's job," a snide voice explained. Remus recognized it immediately as Lucius Malfoy. "They do their best to meddle and pretend that their actions matter. Their time will come. The Dark Lord will see to that."

"Still," another voice Remus didn't recognize said, "Are you sure they're all gone?"

"Why Nott, are you frightened of that group of blood traitors, mudbloods, and, dare I say it," Malfoy sneered, "squibs?"

Remus could hear appreciative guffaws in the background.

"Shut it Goyle! I ain't afraid of them. Bring'em all here for all I care," Nott snapped back.

"Yes, yes, I'm sure you would wipe the ground with all of them," Lucius's dismissive tone was unmistakable. _Good grief, _Remus thought rolling his eyes. _It's like an older version of Draco and those two bookends that follow him around._ "Crabbe, go get the others. We should be heading back. The Dark Lord will be expecting information."

_Do an old werewolf a favor and say what information._

"They didn't know anything Lucius," Goyle said, "Said they knew their son worked in the Department of Mysteries, but they didn't know what branch, and they hadn't had contact with him for years."

"And whether or not that information is valuable is not for us to decide," Malfoy hissed.

More footsteps approached.

"Do you think they're really all gone, Lucius?" Another new voice said, "We counted eight new ones with those battle marks before they took them down, but between us all, we can't account for four, one of the ones that was already here and three of the ones that arrived."

"Homenem revelio!"

Remus felt the spell flit through him and immediately heaved a silent sigh of relief. If there was ever a time to appreciate not being completely human.

"You see?" the smug voice said, "They probably apparated away. Nobody here but us mice. Speaking of which, where is Wormtail?"

Remus's insides froze as he whipped his head around to check the rats in the shadows. A figure rose behind him, and he caught a flash of silver sweeping towards his face before he reflexively threw up a shield charm.

Wormtail stood with a grin on his face, his wand aimed at Remus's heart, "You always underest…" Wormtail couldn't finish his sentence as Remus cold-cocked him with a left hook.

"Guess you weren't expecting that," Remus glared down at the unconscious form, shaking his left hand gingerly.

"What was that?" A voice shouted from outside as hurried footsteps approached the door to the storehouse.

"We'll continue this at the house," Remus said. "Colloportus!" He waved his wand at the door just in time. The handle jiggled, followed by banging. Remus tucked his wand in his belt and bent over to haul Peter's unconscious form over his shoulder. "Merlin, how many times did we try to help you lose weight?" He grumbled.

"Out of my way, you idiots!" Malfoy's voice shouted.

Breathing hard, Remus turned on the spot to apparate away. Nothing happened. Remus froze. How could he not disapparate? They had been apparating and disapparating all over the village.

A mocking knock sounded at the door, "Whoever you are," it was Malfoy again, "You're not going anywhere. You might as well come out."

Remus could hear footsteps surrounding the shed. He struggled to redraw his wand with Peter's weight bearing down on him.

"Alohamora."

Remus dropped Peter, feeling briefly satisfied at seeing his head bounce on the floor, and quickly disillusioned himself. He moved into the shadows as the door flew open, his lower half still melting into the background.

Wand-drawn arms rushed into the room before one of the figures grunted disdainfully, "It's just Wormtail," he said, kicking the unconscious form in the side.

"Well, unless he fainted, which I do not put beyond the realm of possibility," Malfoy said, "Someone else was here."

"Lucius," Crabbe gasped, returning at a run, "I found Gibbon in a Full Body Bind. I don't know what McNair was hit with, but he doesn't look too good. The Carrows robes were set on fire, but they managed to keep from being burned too badly, and both Jugson and Selwyn say….er, that they were attacked by a tree. They were dueling with three order members. Gibbon says he saw two port away, and the other disapparated."

"So," Lucius said, scrutinizing the shadows, "Someone was here."

Remus held his breath as one of the robed figures passed entirely too close, but he dared not move, afraid that the slight shimmer that would result would be enough to give him away.

"Lumos maxima," Lucius hissed. The shed lit up, and Remus squinted painfully as his eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. The masked figures turned, searching the illuminated shed.

"Homenum revelio!" A female voice spat with a jab of her wand. Remus felt the spell flit through him again without effect. Each of the Death Eaters briefly shone with a golden aura before it faded.

Lucius turned to her, "Did you expect a different result than before?" He sneered.

"How did they get out?" A gruff voice asked, "I put an Anti-Apparition Charm on the building."

"One way to find out," Malfoy pointed his wand at Peter, "Enervate."

The group stared at the unconscious form.

"Not much of a healer, are you Lucius?" The gruff voice said wryly.

"He's obviously not been stunned." The female voice scowled, "He's suffered a blow to the head. He'll either wake on his own or need a healer."

"Enough of this. We should leave before the Ministry shows. Whoever was here is unimportant." Malfoy turned, leading the group out, "Someone carry that fool."

Remus watched, biting his lip, as Wormtail was levitated and hovered away with the group. He was grateful they left the door open, though he waited several minutes before daring to follow out into the night air.

A light breeze blew down the cobblestoned street, and Remus could see the figures of the Death Eaters heading west out of town and one by one, they disapparated. Almost immediately, once the last one had gone, he heard distinctive "pops" of apparition not far behind him. With a grimace, Remus turned and saw a number of Ministry Aurors begin to sweep the village. He remained very still as he watched them sweep the houses and discover the bodies of the muggles in one of the homes. They levitated them out one by one, an elderly man, followed by a man and woman who were just a bit younger, and last, Remus grit his teeth, a little girl. There was not a mark on any of them that his eyes could see, but on each of their faces were final looks of terror in empty eyes.

"Report back to Scrimgeour what we've found." One of the Aurors directed another. Without a word, he apparated away only to return quickly with three others. One, Remus assumed having never met the man, was Scrimgeour, given that he wore the robes of the Head of Aurors. Beside him stood Cornelius Fudge and, to Remus's surprise, Dumbledore.

"Minister," the Auror that seemed to be in charge nodded at Fudge, whose hair was disheveled and without his usual lime green bowler hat.

"What seems to have happened here?" Fudge demanded. Scrimgeour frowned, but did not interrupt.

"Four dead bodies, Minister," The same Auror answered. "And evidence of recent use of magic in the area."

"I think, Cornelius," Dumbledore said softly, "it is fairly obvious what has happened here?"

"Oh you think so, do you," Fudge turned on Dumbledore, "and what do you see that a team of my best Aurors cannot?"

"I believe that they see exactly what I do," Dumbledore replied in the same soft voice, "that Death Eaters have killed this family."

"Death Eaters?" Fudge sputtered, "Absurd. I know we had that spot of trouble at the World Cup and rumors have run rampant, but that's exactly what they are, Dumbledore, rumors. And they're getting worse with you and that Potter boy spouting to anyone that will listen that You-Know-Who is back. If this is the work of so-called Death Eaters, it is former supports of You-Know-Who who have come out because they think he's back. And they think he's back because _you_ keep trying to drive everyone into a frenzy."

If anyone looked in a frenzy at the moment, however, it was Fudge.

"Minister," Scrimgeour spoke, "we must keep an open mind about this. The scene must be processed and the bodies examined. Until then it would be premature to make any assumptions about what has happened here tonight."

"And I'll tell you exactly what your findings will be, Rufus," Fudge glared, "It will be that these muggles died by some muggle means. A fume leak or whatever they call it. Nothing happened here."

"Cornelius," Dumbledore said, his voice still soft, but now more urgent, "You cannot ignore what is in front of you. Magic has been used in this area tonight. Your own man informed us back at the Ministry that they were found huddled together in their living room dead, not a mark on them. How many times did we see this when Voldemort was active before."

"They were found lying in their beds," Fudge hissed, "and that is what everyone found tonight. That is what the muggle papers will report, and no one from the Prophet will be interested in something that happened in a muggle town that has nothing to do with our world."

"You do the deaths of this family a great disservice, Cornelius. Their son is Sherman Lickney, an Unspeakable at the Ministry. He is the only wizard that has family in this town. You know what I have told you about…"

"I know what you've told me, and it's all utter nonsense!" Fudge growled, "Nothing happened here tonight, do you understand me," he turned now to meet eyes with each of the Aurors standing witness, "Nothing."

"I see how it will be then," Dumbledore said, his voice mournful, "We are reaching a parting of the ways, Cornelius. If you will not accept the truth, then I cannot support you any further."

"I don't need your support," Fudge spat, "and I can see now that I've been far too lenient with how your run your school. Do not expect that to continue."

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, "The Ministry has never dictated what occurs at Hogwarts. It is left to the Governors and the Headmaster to run the school."

"Yes, and I can see that needs changing. Expect to hear from me very soon about that," Fudge said before turning his back.

Dumbledore sighed, his eyes shifting to where Remus stood, still disillusioned nearby. Dumbledore inclined his head and nodded then turned to begin walking away slowly. Remus followed, his footsteps silent as he caught up to the elder wizard.

"Report back to Headquarters," Dumbledore said under his breath, "Inform them of what has happened. I will not be able to brief them tonight. I must return to Hogwarts."

"That was quite a threat Fudge made," Remus whispered.

"It is one he will carry out. I must be prepared. If you would, assemble the reports of the team leaders and send them to me as soon as you can."

"I will." Remus said.

And with that, both wizards disapparated.

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I really do apologize for the long wait. I appreciate those that have made this story a favorite and commented even in its long unintended hiatus. It did at least let me know that people were still interested in the story continuing. Believe me, seeing the hit counts still registering, favorites, and reviews made me determined to continue. For this story's most dedicated follower, SHP, hope this doesn't disappoint. To my wonderful beta, Wolviesfan, who still wields a mean cattleprod, commands an army of mutant pincher crabs, and now has added Krav Maga to her arsenal, thanks a million for working in betaing this story into your many other responsibilities.


	18. The Battle That Never Happened Part 3

Chapter 8 - The Battle That Never Happened (Part 3)

Silence had fallen over the group at headquarters. Sirius paced furiously by the door, glaring at it vehemently as if it were preventing his friend from walking in. The Weasleys had clustered at the opposite end of the room around the head of the table, Molly fidgeting, somehow always coming into contact with Bill's elbow or Charlie's hand, reassuring herself that they were well and still with her. Charlie finally covered his mother's hand with his own, "We're fine, Mum, honestly."

"Might not have been that way if it hadn't been for Remus, though," Bill said, "Don't know how he had both our backs as well as his own, but he did."

"Told you there's no one I'd rather have at my back," Mad-Eye said from where he sat with Tonks and Kingsley. Sirius turned to glare at Mrs. Weasley

Molly's gaze dropped to the floor. Arthur rubbed her back absently, staring into space.

Separate soft conversations broke out. Moody was writing in sharp strokes on parchment everyone's report of the events of the night. When they were finished telling him, they scattered about, occasionally standing to take a few steps, then self-consciously sitting again, quite unsure what to do with themselves. But it was an Order tradition that no one left until the fate of all was known, and so they waited.

Finally, Moody's blue eye rolled back and looked through his head, "Black, if you don't stop pacing and grumbling under your breath, I'm going to petrify you."

"Bite me, Mad-Eye," Sirius barked, "If it were you out there, Remus wouldn't leave you behind, dead or alive."

Moody sighed and threw down his quill, "Black, you seem to forget exactly what Lupin can do. Have you forgotten the Battle at Hogsmeade?"

"Of course not," Sirius growled.

"Then you'll remember that he held his own against five seasoned Death Eaters…some of them part of You-Know-Who's original inner circle and the worst of his lot. And that was when he was only nineteen, before getting any training from Varen. I daresay he can handle himself."

"I know what a brilliant duelist Remus is, Mad-Eye," Sirius said, glaring, "James, Lily, and I dueled with him since they restarted the Dueling Club in our second year all the way through school and into the war. Why do you think we were so afraid when we thought he was the traitor? Hell, we could go at him two-on-one and not win. His reflexes are faster, his reaction times quicker, and he's an annoying encyclopedia of spells. Not to mention that he's an el….I mean, once he started figuring out how to make use of those werewolf senses of his towards the end of fourth year, he was practically unbeatable. Dumbledore had to pull him aside and tell him to take a hit now and again or the older students might grow suspicious. But even the best can make a mistake, and we're sitting here doing nothing. We never would have done this in the first war."

"In the first war, we were working with the Ministry," Moody pointed out, "We haven't heard from Dumbledore. If Aurors are there now, we'd have a lot of explaining to do." He turned around finally, meeting Sirius's gaze, "I don't like this any better than you do lad, but we've no choice. Have some faith."

"So Lupin's really that good, huh Mad-Eye?" Tonks asked.

Moody shook his head, "I'd have given my other leg to get him into the Aurors."

"Well, why wouldn't they take him?"

Sirius snorted, "He's a werewolf, Tonks. The Ministry wouldn't let a werewolf work for them as a janitor, much less in the elite branch of the DMLE. Their hiring restrictions are as bigoted as everyone else about werewolves," he gave a not-so-subtle glance in Mrs. Weasley's direction.

"I thought maybe after he took down Antonin Dolohov they'd change their minds, but…" Moody just shook his head, "Wishful thinking."

"Dolohov?" Molly asked suddenly.

Moody looked up at her, his gaze calculating, "Yes, the Death Eater that killed Gideon and Fabian. Took five to bring them down, but Dolohov was the one that struck the killing blow to both of them."

"I thought you brought in Dolohov, Mad-Eye," Kingsley asked.

"Oh I got the credit for it, all right, but it was Remus that caught him. I turned up and found Dolohov disarmed and on his back, and Lupin with his wand at his throat. Thought the lad was going to do him in, right there."

"Remus was never a killer," Sirius said softly, his hands behind his back.

"No, I suppose not," Mad-Eye said after a moment, "I watched until he'd made up his mind, then he put an Incarcerous on him, punched him in the face, and let me take him in. Given that Dolohov's the one that tortured and murdered his parents, I honestly expected the lad to kill him."

Molly looked thoughtful at that piece of information, "But he was just a boy, even then. When were his parents killed?"

Sirius sat on the opposite end of the table, still nearest to the door, "In the spring of our sixth year, just before his seventeenth birthday. James, Pet…well, James and I were planning a big surprise for his coming of age. Instead we spent it at his parents' funeral."

_The timing couldn't have been better. The full moon had been Saturday, the fifth of March. The tenth was on Thursday. Remus was already pretty well recovered only three days out. They'd worked out all the logistics on Sunday while Remus had slept. They could sneak out through the One-Eyed Witch passage into Honeydukes. They'd already stashed four brooms at the end of the tunnel. A quiet trek through the shop to the outside and the four of them would be off to Edinburgh to hit the pubs. Sirius loved it when a plan came together._

_The Great Hall was buzzing as usual. James was sitting between Sirius and Remus, Peter and Lily across from them. Slowly the girl of James's dreams was starting to come around. After The Incident, as Sirius had come to call it in his mind, both he and James had calmed down considerably. They were hardly models of good behavior, but neither boy found hexing random students to be amusing any more…not after they knew how easily things could go wrong. Sirius looked over his shoulder at the Slytherin table. The slimey git was still there, still with that same smirk he'd been wearing on his face for about a week now. Sirius sorely wanted to corner the little snake and find out what was so amusing. He'd told James so just yesterday, but James had told him to let it go. Snape wasn't worth any more trouble. So he'd let it lie, but it still made Sirius's skin crawl to think what Snivellus might be happy about._

"_Remus, are you even tasting that?" Lily asked amused, watching Remus shovel a third helping of fried potatoes into his mouth. Remus merely nodded, chewing, and shoveled on. The Marauders chuckled, quite used to the massive amounts of food Moony could tuck away._

"_As much as you eat you think you'd…" Lily's voice drifted off, her gaze looking over their shoulder towards the entrance to the Great Hall. James, Sirius, and Remus turned. There, at the double doors, stood two Ministry officials wearing the robes of the Department of Notification. Silence fell over the room, the air turning thick with tension. The first time Ministry officials had come to the school had been at the end of last year. Since then, the sight had become all too frequent. It meant that a classmate had lost someone in their family to the Death Eaters. _

_From the entrance hall behind, Professor McGonagall joined the Ministry officials. Sirius felt James stiffen beside him. So, it was to be a Gryffindor. The three moved towards the table draped in red and gold, and Sirius took a deep breath, putting a hand on James's shoulder. As Chief Sorcerer of the Wizengamot, Alan Potter was widely respected throughout the wizarding world. Mr. Potter had been speaking out against Voldemort from the beginning alongside Dumbledore. James had spoken with him this past Christmas, wondering how wise it was to be so outspoken. Mr. Potter had merely looked steadily at both of them and said, "If no one speaks, then our world dies in silence, boys."_

_They were coming closer, and McGonagall's eyes seemed to be fixed on them, her usually stern expression replaced by sadness. He felt Remus's hand over his own as the other boy slung his arm across James's shoulders which had begun to move up and down as he gasped. McGonagall stopped behind them, her gaze falling on each of them in turn. Both Sirius and Remus grabbed a fistful of James's robes, ready to hold him steady, but McGonagall's eyes did not stop on James._

"_Mr. Lupin," she said softly, "I need you to come with me, please."_

_Sirius's hand spasmed, and he could feel James start. They both looked at Remus, who was simply staring uncomprehending at Professor McGonagall._

"_Mr. Lupin," she said again, "Please, stand up. You need to come with us."_

"_But…no," Remus sputtered, "No, I don't have anyone but my parents, and they can't be…"_

"_Remus," Professor McGonagall finally said, placing a hand on his back, "Come with us. We will explain…"_

"_No!" Remus jerked away from her hand, trying to stand, "My parents aren't anything. They can't be…"_

_At the same time, James and Sirius swept Remus up under his arms before he fell. He leaned into the two of them, shivering. Sirius felt his robes becoming wet where Remus's head was buried. Peter had stood and surprisingly taken the short cut, climbing across the table and putting both hands on Remus's shoulders. Tears streamed down Lily's face. They stood there for a moment, Sirius's eyes sweeping across the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. He could see many of the girls crying, some looked away, some couldn't look away, but every face was grim. It was true. The Lupins weren't involved in the movement against Lord Voldemort. They were simple, ordinary people…and if they could be targeted, no one was safe._

"_Mr. Potter, Mr. Black, Mr. Pettigrew, why don't you come with us as well," McGonagall said._

_Remus slowly raised his head. His breath hitched as he tried to control himself and put one foot in front of the other. James and Sirius supported him on each side as they followed their Head of House and the Ministry officials towards Dumbledore's office. As they passed by the Slytherin table, Sirius glanced again at Severus Snape. He was grinning triumphantly._

Sirius did not tell this story to the Order, however. That was a story for Remus to tell, if and when he chose, but he had never forgotten the look on Snape's face that day. He'd mentioned it to James later. They'd never have proof, but Sirius believed in his heart that Snape was the reason Remus's parents were dead. One quick word to the Death Eaters that a pureblood with ties to a prestigious Italian blood line had married a muggle woman and their son…well Snape couldn't have told that part, not if he wanted to stay in school, but Sirius was sure it wouldn't take much convincing that the Lupins were a target to be eradicated.

_Thursday, March 10__th__, 1977, John and Isabelle Lupin were laid to rest in a cemetery at a small seaside church in Knott-End-On-Sea. Remus had insisted on a muggle funeral. Mrs. Lupin had been raised as a Catholic, and when he was younger, Remus could remember going to Mass with his mother and father. They would take a seat in a pew towards the back, his mother always hiding a bemused smile as her husband stumbled through when to kneel, when to stand, and when to sit. Remus had loved going to church every Sunday. They stopped going after he was bitten. At first, a part of him wondered if his mother thought something as evil as him shouldn't go into a house of God. As he grew older, he knew better…but then he wondered if his mother had simply lost her faith in God. He'd never asked her. Just like he'd never asked her the recipe for Grandmama's biscuits or how she tuned their stubborn old piano correctly when he never could. He'd never asked his dad how he knew Mum was the right one. Did his dad think it was fair for him to become serious enough about a girl to even worry if she was the right one? Did he think there was a girl out there who wouldn't care what he was. He wondered what the both of them would say. Did they think he should get married, even if it meant that the person he loved might be an outcast if anyone ever found out what he was? Did they imagine having grandchildren that would come and visit on Sundays?_

_He wasn't listening to a word the priest was saying. All he could do was stare at the nearly identical caskets sitting on metal stands over two holes in the earth. The Lupin family crest had been etched into the material on the lids, the initials JNL scripted elegantly beneath one, ISL under the other. James had insisted on letting his parents pay for the caskets and Remus, knowing otherwise that his parents would be buried in simple pine boxes, agreed for once. Unbeknownst to the muggles, preservations charms were placed on the caskets in the usual wizarding fashion. His friends stood beside him, looking odd in muggle suits. He'd warned his parents' wizarding friends that they should dress for the occasional, and apart from a few mild hitches that had caused some, including the priest, to discretely look twice, they had done well. It was probably the bonnet that Mr. Godfrey from Dad's old office in the Ministry was wearing. The service ended. The priest took Remus's hand and offered a few words of comfort. The other attendees were brief as well, leaving only Remus and his friends standing in the graveyard, the ocean breeze lifting their hair gently. Checking briefly to see that they were alone, Remus drew his wand and slowly lowered the two caskets into the ground. He could see his friends looking at him with concern out of the corner of his eyes, but he couldn't explain it to them. He just felt that he needed to do this. The white boxes settled gently into the earth, and he slowly swept the awaiting dirt on top of them until the ground's surface was flat, only the lack of grass showing any sign that a funeral had just taken place. At the head of the two patches of earth, a blank stone plaque lay._

"_Sirius," Remus finally spoke, "would you mind?" He gestured at the stone, "Your handwriting's best."_

_Sirius paused for a moment, "If you're sure?" At Remus's nod, he drew his wand, then slowly and carefully inscribed:_

_John and Isabella Lupin_

_b. November 23, 1935 b. May 6, 1937_

_d. March 5, 1977_

"_Do you want anything else on it?" Sirius asked gently._

"_I can't think right now," Remus said after a moment, "Would you come back later if I do?"_

"_Course I will, mate," he said, "any time."_

_Remus nodded and stared at the stone for a moment longer before turning his back and walking towards the sea. The Marauders followed, sharing concerned glances. When they came to the waters edge, they stopped. The four stood silently, the only sounds the crashing of the waves and the call of the gulls._

"_Do you guys mind helping me pack?" Remus finally said._

"_Pack?" James asked._

_Remus finally turned to them, "The house is going up for auction. I'm allowed to take my personal belongings but that's it."_

"_Remus, what are you talking about?" James asked worriedly._

"_My parents have a mound of debt," Remus said, "All that money they spent all those years traveling all over the place trying to find a cure for me. Well, Gringott's is auctioning everything to try to get what they can of it paid back. I suppose I'm just lucky I'm not responsible for what's left. They're just cutting their losses."_

"_But where are you supposed to live?" Sirius asked._

"_You can come and stay with me," James said firmly before Remus could answer, "My parents' place has plenty of room. Sirius already has the room across from mine, but there's another at the end of the hall just gathering dust."_

_Remus was already shaking his head, "Thanks, James, but no thanks. I'll figure something out. I'm of age now, after all. I'll get a job and a place somewhere."_

"_But, Remus, what about school?" Peter asked._

_Remus gave a terse smile, "I'm going to finish school. You guys aren't getting rid of me that easily. I'll save up."_

"_This is stupid," Sirius said, "The four of us were going to go abroad this summer. We'll all be of age. You can't not go with us. Your parents wouldn't want you to miss it."_

"_Yeah, well, I reckon they didn't want to die either, Sirius, but it looks like this is a bad week for them getting what they wanted!" Remus shouted. James shot Sirius a disapproving look as Remus turned away, kicking at a stone. _

_After a few moments, Remus spoke again. "Can you guys please just help me pack, and I'll figure the rest of it out later?"_

"_Course we'll help you pack," James said._

"_And you won't have to figure it out on your own, ok?" Sirius said._

But Remus, in true form, had figured it all out on his own. He'd taken a summer job at the Three Broomsticks and was given a room over the pub to sleep in. The Shrieking Shack lived up to its name all summer. Despite Remus's protests, they'd postponed their holiday abroad till the next summer. But by then, the war had started in earnest and the four of them had already joined the Order. Sirius sighed, glanced at his pocket watch, and kicked the leg of the table ill-temperedly before sitting on top of it, staring like a watch dog at the door.

"That must have been hard for him." Mrs. Weasley's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"What?" Sirius said distractedly.

"Losing his parents on his coming of age." She said.

"I don't imagine it's easy to lose them any time," Sirius turned to glare at her, but the sound of the front door opening and closing again drew his gaze back to the door. They heard no footsteps, but Mad-Eye's glance through the door before returning his attention to the parchment in front of him told them enough. Remus pushed open the kitchen door, glancing around briefly.

"Everyone back then?" He asked.

"Aye, you're the last," Moody said, "I've got everyone's report down. Anything to add?"

"Thank you, Alastor. Dumbledore wants a report. He knows most of….OW!" Remus started and grabbed his shoulder where Sirius had landed a mighty punch before storming out of the kitchen. His stomps could be heard up every stair to the top floor before a door slammed.

"What was that for?" Tonks sputtered indignantly.

Remus sighed, rubbing his shoulder and glancing back at Moody, "I take it he was worried?"

"Aye," Moody said, "Like a bloody girl."

"Oy!" Tonks protested.

"I was delayed because I wanted to see if I could find out what the Death Eaters were planning." Remus said, his gaze on the ceiling as he sat down, almost as if he was possessed of Moody's magical eye and could see Sirius sulking upstairs, "They were interrogating the muggle family of an Unspeakable. I don't think they talked. I doubt they even knew anything to tell them in the first place. They killed the entire family," he said softly, then sighed. "Aurors showed up just after the Death Eaters disapparated. Then Fudge, Scrimgeour, and Dumbledore followed," He let his gaze drop to the group, "Fudge is already covering this up. He insists that this is a gas leak, nothing more."

"Bloody idiot," Moody growled.

"But how can he do that?" Arthur asked, "There was obviously Dark Magic used in the area."

"You have seen the memos from the office, Arthur," Kingsley interjected, "Fudge is denying the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He will do whatever he can to keep the public in the dark. He does not want a panic on his hands."

"Imagine what he'll get when people find out the truth," Tonks growled.

"It's late," Remus said, rubbing his eyes, "You should all go home. Dumbledore will contact you all when he wants another meeting. By then hopefully this place will be a bit more hospitable."

"Here," Mad-Eye stood and handed over his stack of parchment, "Dumbledore no doubt asked you to make up a full report."

"How did you know that?"

Mad-Eye just stared at him for a moment like he had the sense of a troll, then grunted and stumped out the door. The others began filing out behind him. Tonks paused in front of him, then looked up at the ceiling.

"You need any help sorting out my cousin?" She asked with a sympathetic smile.

Remus shook his head, smiling sufferingly, "Thank you, but no. Sirius doesn't do serious emotions well."

"Sirius doesn't do Sirius emotions?" She grinned.

"Not you too," Remus shook his head, "That joke wore itself out the first week of school, but you're not entirely off the mark. He's not really upset with me…well, not too much. Sirius has always had to be in the thick of it. Being forced to sit here and not take part in missions has him frustrated. I imagine when I didn't turn up with the rest of you and didn't send word he was ready to charge to the rescue?"

"Moody had to put a Full Body Bind on him," Tonks said.

Remus winced, "Bet he took that well. One of these days, Sirius will realize that I can take care of myself."

"Funny, he spent a lot of time telling the rest of us just that. Seems he can't get it through his own thick skull though."

Remus smiled, "That's fairly typical of Sirius."

"Well, if you're sure then," she said pushing through the kitchen door, "Good night, Remus." She said over her shoulder.

"Good night, Nymphadora." Remus said as the door closed behind her.

"It's Tonks!"

Remus chuckled lightly, running a hand tiredly through his hair as he turned to face the stack of parchments Moody had left him.

"Come on boys, off to bed," Arthur said, patting each of his sons on the back, "Molly?"

"I'll be right there," Molly said, "I just want to tidy up a bit."

Bill and Charlie stopped in front of Remus, "We want to thank you," Bill said.

"Yeah, I reckon we'd have been done for if you hadn't been there," Charlie added.

Remus shook his head, "None of us were supposed to be walking into that. If we'd known, none of us would have gone."

"Still," Bill said, "thank you. You wouldn't happen to be teaching dueling lessons as well, would you?"

"Don't worry," Remus smiled, "We'll be doing plenty of training. You both did well. Like I said, we weren't expecting to walk into that."

"And I thank you too," Arthur said, "For looking after my boys."

"You're welcome," Remus finally said, reconciling to the fact that none of them seemed to want to believe he hadn't done anything special.

The three Weasleys murmured their goodnights, leaving Remus at the table. He sat in silence, his thumb rubbing thoughtfully across his bottom lip. His eyes were slowly drifting closed when someone sat down in front of him. His eyes snapped open, looking questioningly at Molly Weasley.

"I've been horrible to you."

"Beg pardon?" Remus said.

Molly studied her hands for a moment, looking quite ashamed before she raised her eyes to meet Remus's, "I have treated you terribly. No," she held up a hand when Remus drew a breath to speak, "Please don't interrupt."

She paused a moment to gather her thoughts, "Before I met you, all I knew was that you had taught at Hogwarts and that you were a member of the original Order. Both Dumbledore and Moody spoke very highly of you. That should have told me that you were a good man who could be trusted. But the other thing that I knew was that you were a werewolf. And for some reason, that one thing clouded out everything else." She said with almost wonderment, "I remember how highly the children spoke of you when they were in your classes. I don't think I've ever heard Fred and George talk about a class so much. And Ginny," Molly shook her head, "all I heard from her that year was about what a wonderful person you were. How you would listen to her problems, even if it wasn't about class. When I heard at the end of the year about…well, I just remember being instantly filled with fear over how close you'd been to my children. I didn't stop to listen to them. They were furious at Professor Snape over you leaving, and I remember thinking it was one of the few things he'd done I approved of."

She paused again, turning away slightly and wiping her face.

"Mrs. Weasley, I don't have any children of my own, but I do remember my mother once saying that all logic seems to run straight out of you the moment you have them."

That brought a smile, "Well, she was right. I suppose what I'm doing a horrible job of saying is, I'm sorry. I always tried to teach my children to use their own judgment about people and never let anyone else's prejudices make their opinion about someone. I hope they've learned that better than their mother has."

"You have wonderful children, Mrs. Weasley."

"Molly," she corrected reaching for his hand, "Thank you for taking care of them, both tonight and when they were at school, Mr. Lupin."

"Remus," he said, grasping her hand lightly, "You're welcome."

With a sniff, Molly nodded and followed her family out of the kitchen.

Remus sat there in silence for a few moments. Finally, he stood slowly, wincing as soreness in his joints began to set in. He made his way up the stairs, waving his hand to extinguish the candles as he moved. He came to Sirius's room and opened the door without a knock. Sirius was sitting on the side of his bed, his back to the door.

"I suppose tomorrow we should clean out a room for me, or people will start to talk," Remus said as he closed the door.

"Did you enjoy being out there fighting Death Eaters, knowing I was forbidden from coming to help you?" Sirius asked bitterly.

"Oh, yes. It was foremost on my mind. I stayed and had a drink at the pub just to make sure I kept you in suspense long enough," Remus said, sitting down on the other side of the bed and laying on his back so he could see Sirius's face.

"You're an ass," he said.

"So are you," Remus replied.

The two sat in silence for a moment before Remus spoke again.

"I punched Wormtail."

"What?" That worked. Sirius looked down at Remus, startled.

"I punched Wormtail," he repeated, "Might have even broken his jaw."

"Oh now that's really unfair," Sirius said, "I have to stay out of the fighting, and I missed a chance to punch Wormtail."

"I thought I had him actually," Remus said softly, "I thought I had the chance to bring him back and clear your name, but I screwed up again."

"What do you mean?"

Remus repeated to him the events at the shed.

"It wasn't your fault," Sirius said reluctantly, "you're lucky you weren't found," but his face was strained.

"I really did try."

"I know you did Moony, it just seems like…I don't know, like the entire world is conspiring against me sometimes," Sirius said.

"It'll get better," Remus said, "We'll get Harry here, and everything will be better."


End file.
